


Bind It With Silk and Barbed Wire

by Darksinokari (Darksinokaru)



Series: Bound In Silk and Barbed Wire [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: ...primarily Sephiroth teaches him, AU, Alley Sex, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, And Hojo is... Hojo, And everyone must teach him, Angst, Art with lotsa blood, Background Relationships, Bottom Cloud, But his actions play a big role, Cloud does his first heroing!, Cloud will become the warrior we all know and love, Complete, Crisis-Core Sephiroth with bits of violent scary Sephiroth, Cuz Cloud is clueless about his own body, Dirty Talk, Dubious Consent (Initially), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Sex, Explicit Language, Falling In Love, Forced/Accidental Bonding, Forming of strong bonds, Graphic Sex, I do explain omega physiology in this fic, Jenova mind probes later, Loosely follow events of Crisis Core, M/M, Marking, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg themes and discussions, Omega Verse, Oral Sex, Overcoming limits, Romance, Sefikura, Seme Sephiroth, Seph becomes very protective, Sephiroth and Cloud grow and change together, Sephiroth is pretty cocky during sex, Shinra being Shinra, Shinra... is Shinra., Short term domestic couple living, Top Sephiroth, Touching/emotional moments, Uke Cloud, Warning: Hojo (he's not actually IN this, a little bit slow in some parts, a lot of smelling going on here, art!, flashbacks as initial world building, male omegas have outside male sex parts and female internal sex organs, mash up of happy/cute moments and super sad/depressing ones, not in a violent way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:13:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 34
Words: 135,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24466264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darksinokaru/pseuds/Darksinokari
Summary: Book 1: Bound In ResilienceEvery man is required to join the military and serve a minimum of three years when they turn 18. There is only one class of men exempted from this compulsory service: omegas. The Class system is rigid and complex, but one thing is certain: if you are an omega, you are not to serve. Cloud tested as a beta at 17 as was his family lineage. Everything was great, he started off strong and finished his basic training at the top of his class. And then he got sick… and was plunged into the world of being an omega that blossomed late. Dreams of breaking records shattered, Cloud was to be sent home until Hojo interfered.The horrors of ShinRa and Hojo's use of omegas push Cloud to risk a dangerous escape, which worked. Until Sephiroth caught up with him. Caught in a powerful heat with emotions wild, the two clash, and by some uncontrollable desire, or twist of fate, Sephiroth does the unthinkable and marks Cloud, binding the two together for life. Something that sets into motion a series of world-altering events and changes the fate of everyone around them.Sephiroth/Cloud**Update is that of a title drawing I did.
Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud, Very brief Zack/Aerith
Series: Bound In Silk and Barbed Wire [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874701
Comments: 475
Kudos: 909





	1. Daring Escape

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I haven't written anything Final Fantasy VII related in forever. But, I got an idea and wanted to try and have some fun with it. What was a simple and rather cliche storyline ended up getting a bit more involved. lol Still cliche I'm sure, but if you have fun, who cares. 
> 
> Warning: I do not have a beta, unfortunately. I read over and try to catch any problems, but from past experience, I'm sure I've missed some. Hopefully nothing glaring. 
> 
> Well, I hope anyone who clicks on this has fun reading! I've taken some creative liberties with Cloud in terms of his pre-main game abilities since this is an AU. 
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

The impact of his feet slamming into the ground was more than he had expected, sending sharp vibrating pain all up his shins as he dropped to his knees and rolled forward, slamming into his shoulder with a painful crack that jolted pain up his neck and down his back. Scrambling up with his hands, the blonde sprung up, breaking in an immediate sprint as bright lights weaved over his back, followed by the shouts of men. His bare feet crushed the grass as he ran, the legs of his government-issued cotton pants scraping together as he bolted forward, chilled by the midnight air. Blue eyes swiveled around in every direction, though he dared not look behind as the sound of boots and gear clinking and creaking hit the air behind him. 

“Stop!” The men repeated as their lights danced all around the blonde. His heart raced and twisted in panic, his breath scraped from the back of his throat with a nearly painful sensation. He wouldn’t be able to keep up his hard sprint. Already his ankles were starting to totter as a new but quickly understood heat began to rapidly build throughout his body. The drugs were wearing off, and a hoarse curse panted from his dry throat as the blonde blindly charged forward.

“Cloud!” The blonde took a quick glance to his left where a familiar voice had cracked. Surprise seized his fluttering heart to see Dave there, running in his matching pajamas. He had thought the brunette had decided against this reckless plan, even if he had been the one to whisper it into Cloud’s ear over breakfast the day before. Assailed with pumping adrenaline Cloud reached out his hand and the brunette reached forward; their fingertips scraped together when Dave suddenly gasped, his voice cut off as his eyes flew open wide and he froze, falling face first into the ground. Cloud nearly fell over before coming to a stop as he hurried back to grab the brunette only to find the young man with a dart in his back. 

“I can’t move! Just go!” Dave cried as he sluggishly moved his arms and legs upon the grass. 

“Remember, the entrance is under construction, it will be easy!” Dave cried, the octaves of his voice reaching cracking highs that dug into the base of Cloud’s spine and forced him to turn and run. As he turned to move, his eyes dared to scan behind them where the team of armed guards converged after them. Behind the rushing collection of bodies, the blonde could have sworn he saw a guard down on one knee, taking aim. Cloud broke into another hard sprint, panic twisting his face. He could not be caught, he couldn’t! It was starting to feel impossible, he didn’t even know exactly where it was though blonde had done his best to make an educated guess.

As Cloud bolted across the grassy plain the bouncing flashlights glinted off something metallic and he nearly shouted in joy upon making out the open pipe plastered with posters and caution tape. He nearly tore through the tape with just the momentum of his body, but he stopped long enough to rip at the tape, hearing the voices behind him increase in urgency. So close he could almost feel the ground shake from their heavy footfalls before he threw himself down the large pipe.

Luckily Cloud managed to grab onto one of the bars of a service ladder and slid the rest of the way down, the muscles of his biceps and hands straining to keep hold until he hit the ground. As expected the putrid smell of sewage wafted into his nose and runaway cadet gagged as he pinched his nose and followed quickly along the wall to his right with his right hand as a guide against the wall. He had to hurry, they would be right behind him. After nearly running off the cement ramping into the water, Cloud turned around a corner and pressed himself against the wall. The air was humid, increasing his nausea. It didn’t help his resistance to the building heat in his body, the sensitive tingle of his flesh, and the sharpening of his sense of smell. Pinching his nose as tight as he could, he waited, trying to hear over the rushing and pounding in his ears. Were they coming? But he heard nothing. No footsteps, only the slow churn of the sewer water. Knowing he could not linger, Cloud pushed from the wall and walked, hoping to find an exit as soon as he could.

It didn’t feel real. Like he was wading through a dream without a real body, even as his body continued to shiver stronger with each passing moment. It was awful. But so long as he was able to avoid alpha pheromones it seemed he might be able to endure it. At least until he could find some way to get his hands on suppressants. The fact that he needed them, including his frustrating current condition, it could not be denied, (though Cloud had tried quite fiercely to deny it), that he was an omega. Of all the situations, of all the rare chances. He was 18, how could he not go into heat until he was 18?! It was practically unheard of! 14-16. He heard it all his pubescent life! So much so that when he was diagnosed, the doctor had been surprised. The fact that he was at the top of his class of betas in basic training only made it more unusual. 

~~~

“Your family has been a long line of betas it seems,” the doctor mused as he looked over his clipboard, appearing bored. 

“Y-yes,” Cloud said, his breath stuttering from where he sat in a swivel chair, shoulders forward and hunched down. Why did this guy… they had met before when Cloud had taken a hefty blow to his gut during practice. The guy was just… a guy, not ugly or anything, but not attractive either. And yet… at that very moment… Cloud felt a powerful ache in his pants, he was hard as a rock and each inhale he took through the nose made his entire body feel electrified. So he opted for breathing through his mouth while trying to hide his erection. What the hell was wrong with him? Cloud had never once felt much of a desire to be in contact with others, being a rather solitary guy, but for some reason, he really wanted to feel hands on his skin. And it was terrifying. It started almost as soon as he walked into the office.

“What are your symptoms?” the man asked. 

“Fever, shakes, I’m sweating like crazy. And it’s… it’s like everything everywhere is hypersensitive, even my nose,” Cloud muttered while suppressing a shiver when the doctor stood and walked over to him. Instinctively Cloud felt he should move away, but he found to his surprise that he also wanted to lean closer. 

“It could be a severe infection, or perhaps you consumed… something. We’ll draw some blood and swab your mouth,” the man explained and Cloud failed to resist a hard shudder. Every time the doctor moved his coat caused a small wave of air to come the blonde’s way. Oh, God, his mouth was suddenly watery even though his body felt like it was burning up inside.

The tests were difficult to endure. Having his mouth swabbed was embarrassing with how much he was conscious of his watering mouth, and everywhere the doctor touched tingled like electricity, making his cock throb harder. And though he tried to ignore the notion, the blonde wanted to be touched more. Those hands felt too good, all of which made Cloud thankful for how baggy the military pants were. Usually being prodded with needles were of no consequence but with how sensitive his flesh seemed to be, it hurt, almost burned the whole time it was in. There was definitely something wrong. Maybe he was drugged with something? 

“Wait here. The results will be ready in 15 minutes,” the doctor informed before he paused and brushed his long ponytail of brown hair back over his shoulder. “You really look overheated. Would you like some water?” Cloud nodded perhaps a little too quickly, for it made his whole world wobble.

15 minutes later and finally more in control of himself, Cloud was greeted by the doctor. And almost immediately the more humiliating symptoms returned, screaming to be mentioned though the young cadet refused to admit to anything so embarrassing. Only a soft, barely audible groan passed his soft pink lips as the doctor sat down and leaned forward, staring very hard at him, which made the blonde tense and recoil some. 

“Cloud Strife. You are, from a family of betas, correct? Has there ever been any alphas or omegas in your bloodline not listed?” he asked and Cloud looked up, eyes hazy. 

“N-no. Why?” The doctor’s brow creased as his lips pinched together while he looked down at the clipboard in his hands. 

“It’s just… it’s extremely rare for there to be a deviation when the entire stock for generations has been the same class. Alpha families breed alphas, betas breed betas,” the doctor said as he looked up at Cloud who stared, a look of clear confusion and frustration twisting his brow.

“What are you saying?” Cloud said in a burst of breath which he quickly regretted when his heart rate accelerated and his breath suddenly left him, forcing him into another dizzy spell as the heat suddenly skyrocketed. “W-we’ve always been betas. Wh-what are you telling me?” 

“I’ll get right to the point then. Despite your lineage you are an omega,” the doctor declared and any wind in Cloud’s sails deflated as he choked for a second while his heart rate soared, jumbling up his thoughts as his vision distorted. 

“What?” he gasped when a ring suddenly went off in his ears. 

“It’s almost hard to believe. While it does happen, there are mutations that sometimes occur in homogeneous gene groups, like your family of betas. The chances of a line of betas turning out an omega are about 12%, a lottery you almost never win. And though not as rare, but still quite up there, are omegas who flower late, having their first heat in their late teens and early twenties. You, Strife, have managed to win both of these proverbial lotteries.”

Cloud stared down at the floor between his legs, hands gripping his thighs so tight his fingertips began to ache. 

“You’ll have to be put on suppressants as soon as possible. However, since omegas are not allowed to join the ShinRa military we do not have much of that sort of medication on hand. You’ll have to be isolated until we can medicate you. And then you will be discharged back to your family.”

Cloud’s ears burned at such words as his heart twisted in throws of deep, painful aches. He was an omega? How could he be one? How could he… have such horrible genetic luck? It couldn’t be true!

“Could you test me again?” the blonde asked, his voice a strained whisper as hot heat built up behind his eyes. Were his dreams dead? Really? Just like that? It couldn’t be true, it had to be a mistake.

“Test you again? It’s not necessary. It would be a waste of resources. The test was performed properly, and we double checked the results. It’s unfortunate that omegas test the same as betas until they have their first heat, triggering an influx of hormones and rapid change of the body’s physiological environment. We could perform a scan of your abdomen and confirm whether you have the internal parts, though I am absolutely confident it will only confirm our findings,” the doctor explained, his words a little bothered. Cloud’s jaw clenched as the painful twisting in his heart only grew more violent and heavy, filling his stomach with dread. It wasn’t… it really couldn’t. It couldn’t be true.

“I would try to think of the more positive aspects of this new change for you. You are the only omega to have such high marks in all the categories in which you were tested and trained while here at ShinRa. You were even above all the other betas in your class. You might have even been able to make SOLDIER third, which as an omega, would have been a historical moment. Take pride in your superiority. And think of the genes you will be passing on, your children could be quite blessed.”

“Superiority?” Cloud repeated, his words tense, working to come from his mouth. 

“Ah, perhaps that was not the best choice of words. You are an anomaly Strife. Stronger, faster, and more mentally stout than most omega. I wouldn’t be surprised when we compare your charts to find you rather at the very top as far as omega performance. Strife?”

~~~~~

Cloud’s hands hit a long, cool metal rail and his heart flipped in his chest as he moved over and grabbed another, finding to his delight the horizontal bars that made up what could be none other than a ladder. Grabbing the ladder the blonde quickly ascended. To his surprise the ladder was incredibly tall, but the higher he climbed the more he could feel a slight crisp brush of night air. He was so close. Upon reaching the top Cloud found the handwheel and grabbed hold. It took much effort to turn it, the way it creaked and scraped its dry gears together was painful in its bite to the ears. And the horrible flaring heat and the weakening of his muscles as his heat grew worse with the exertion of his body made him nearly falter once before he finally managed to unlock and push the manhole open. As soon as the barrier gave way the chilled night air rushed in eagerly around Cloud, chilling his sweaty body and tussling his piked blonde hair while blasting away the remaining stench of the sewer.

Crawling up out of the manhole the blonde turned and closed it before he leaned back on his hands and stared up at the polluted sky. He was still on the upper plate it seemed, to be expected since he didn’t go down particularly far. Cloud looked at the business buildings around him, most of them closed though there was a bar a little down the road that was active. What sector was he in? With a grunt, Cloud stood up and wiped his hands on his pajama pants before finding and taking a narrow alleyway. It was hard to believe, but he had escaped. Now he had to figure out where to go. But first, he needed to find a place to hide and keep out of contact with other people until his heat passed. It was only his second heat, but he was figuring out how it affected him and had ideas on how to handle it until he could medicate. 

“I’ve been waiting for you. Your midnight excursion ends here,” the deep rumble of a male voice made Cloud’s chest lock up tight. The blonde froze when his heart suddenly raced and flooded him with adrenaline. On the breeze at his back, a scent of indescribable pleasure drifted towards the blonde and his body was suddenly seized with intense heat while his mouth humiliatingly salivated. Cloud gasped and jerked to look behind him, nearly falling over when the horrible shivers returned. Standing tall at the alley entrance, haloed by the light of a foggy moon as his long hair fluttered in the breeze was the tall frame of a man who stood still, sharp eyes locked on Cloud. Any coherent thought in the cadet’s mind ceased, replaced with a stupor as the evident figure of his childhood hero, his role model, stepped into the alley. 

“I wouldn’t bother running anymore. I will catch you,” the man declared. Suddenly the gears in Cloud’s mind spun, sputtering out of control. How could he be here? Why was he here? The man’s scent carried over on the wind, bathing Cloud as his cock once again hardened and the heat burned hotter than fire through his veins. A sickly expression creased the blonde’s rapidly flushing face as he stumbled back. 

“No,” Cloud rasped as the General of Legend stepped forward. “I don’t want this.”

“I don’t either. I was quite set on a peaceful night until I happened to pass by during your escape. While commendable, you should not try to escape a fate you chose. If you weren’t certain you never should have signed the contract,” Sephiroth declared and Cloud whipped his head up, dizzying his vision as his breath left him. What was he talking about? Confusion bloomed in the blonde’s mind, battling for supremacy of his thoughts, dizzying him further before he did the only thing he could think of. Cloud gave a cry of defiance. 

“No!” He turned and ran. But he did not make it far.


	2. Fate or Instinct?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unarmed and knowingly outmatched Cloud makes a bid to escape. And his failure will not only change his ShinRa pre-determined fate, but Sephiroth's as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, thank you everyone! I actually hadn’t been ready to post the story yet, but when I went to re-save after editing the summary, I accidentally posted it instead of keeping it as a draft. As a result, I was really anxious about the posting. But, I’m glad that it has turned good! ^_^ Thank you all so much!
> 
> **Warning: This chapter is where the dubious consent takes place**
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

Cloud’s feet slapped against the asphalt of the alley as he ran, dodging trashcans even as every muscle in his body threatened to go slack and throw him to the ground. He was moving too slow and he knew it. Hot water stung Cloud’s eyes which he blinked back tears; sheer terror motivated him to move forward. This was the worst, the worst possible scenario. The General of legend, Sephiroth, an alpha that stood out even among alphas. And he was there to capture the blonde while he was in heat. It was futile, he wouldn’t be able to escape. Cloud knew it, but he couldn’t stop himself from trying to anyway. He couldn’t go back. Not to Omega Square. He would rather be dead. Everything ached, burned, and running while his lower anatomy demanded other action was further weighing him down, making the shudders wracking his body worse. Another strong wave of dizziness hit and Cloud stumbled, his hip smacking into a trashcan and flipping his already spinning world as he collapsed onto his side. The contact shot a powerful bolt of pain through his pelvis as the blonde rolled onto his elbows and jerked his eyes to stare straight back the way he’d come to see Sephiroth slow from a jog and stop roughly six feet away. The General wasn’t even out of breath. And as Cloud’s vision somewhat cleared he realized in horror that he had literally… not run very far. A glance over his shoulder told him he had not even been close to reaching the exit of the alley.

All that struggle, he had thought he was going faster, had covered more distance, though he had successfully dodged a handful of waist-high tin trashcans, the distance had been an illusion on his part, probably caused by his fever. Cloud’s lips twisted as his jaw clenched and he sucked in a sharp breath through the nose, which was a mistake. Sephiroth moved closer, and as the cadet breathed he was smothered by the man’s scent. It truly was without apt description the pleasure the blonde found it, the pleasant way it enveloped him, yet galvanized him to nearly painful desire. Cloud groaned, his breath suddenly feeling too shallow as he panted and collapsed on his back. He was burning, so hot, too hot, even the feeling of the asphalt against the back of his pajama shirt was felt too intimately by his over-sensitized skin.

Sephiroth took a step forward before he suddenly stopped and Cloud watched with blurring vision as the man turned his face and placed his hand over his nose. The General was going to touch him, he had to if he was going to capture him. The thought of hands caressing his skin induced a powerful shudder as the blonde’s face flushed hot, his cock tenting his pajamas and wetting the fabric over his crotch. There was a wetness pooling around his ass, and though humiliation flared through his psyche, the blonde couldn’t stop the powerful shudder of want. Cloud watched, eyes almost feeling like they were crossing as the silverette doubled over a little and stuttered a step. Something was wrong, but the humming that filled Cloud’s ears only further disoriented him. The cadet parted his lips, intending for something like words, but all that came out was a low, miserable groan as his hands slid down his torso. They didn’t feel like his own, his entire body tingled, twitching and shuddering under his palms. Sephiroth made some sort of hissing sound, or at least it sounded like it, as the man had appeared to peek from behind the fingers of his black-gloved hand. 

“You-” Sephiroth’s voice was a strained pant that fell far too heavy on the blonde. Cloud bit back on the pressure building in his throat, but his vocal cords tightened as his brow creased, and unable to stop it, he whimpered. Even the General’s voice, suddenly it sounded too appealing. Sephiroth’s broad shoulders twitched, froze for a moment, and then without warning, he rushed toward where the blonde lay. Sephiroth knelt down on one knee, grabbed Cloud by the shoulders and pulled the young man against him. “Why are you not on suppressants?” the question came out as a frustrated hiss, but the blonde was distracted by the sudden pleasurable tingle that took over wherever the General’s hands touched, even where the General used his left forearm across his upper back to brace the cadet against his upraised knee, and a low moan rumbled from the back of the blonde’s throat. Cloud stared up, pupils blow wide and face flushed as he reached up and grabbed for Sephiroth. He didn’t really know exactly what it was, but God, it felt so good to be touched, and he wanted more. More than that, he wanted the SOLDIER to touch him in his most sensitive places, those places would feel even better, and maybe… maybe he’d find relief.

Sephiroth looked down at the blonde, the usual slit of his eyes blown open into wide circles as his breath passed his lips in small, uneven pants. Cloud’s lips parted as he grabbed the SOLDIER’s duster and without sparing another moment, Sephiroth’s head dipped down and captured those enticing pink lips below him. The very touch of their lips sent a strong spark of pleasure through Cloud’s brain, drawing out a groan as the silverette's tongue licked across the blonde’s supple lips before plunging into the open cavern presented. A powerful shudder worked up Cloud’s spine as his hands tightened on the lapels of the General’s duster while his own tongue clumsily met the foreign invader and the two slid and pressed together. Their jaws began to work against once another as the General angled his head for better access. Slimy and wet, a pleasurable sensation slid across their moving organs and assaulted Cloud’s senses, making his cock throb painfully as the wetness in his boxers grew worse.

Sephiroth’s sank down to sit, uncaring, on the dirty alley floor and pulled the blonde into his lap before his hands slid down the young man’s firm chest, hurried, desperate as they wasted no movement and slid into the cadet’s sleep pants. Cloud’s gasped a moan that was swallowed when his cock was grabbed with the General’s leather-gloved hand. He squirmed a little in the silverette’s lap, hips jerking when his dick was massaged with deft fingers as pre-cum leaked over the expensive material. The leather finger the brushed over the wet, exposed head of his cock nearly made Cloud yelp in pleasure as his hips thrust clumsily against the SOLDIER’s hand. A low moan oozed from the back of the Sephiroth’s throat, his own pants uncomfortable tight against his throbbing cock. 

When their mouths finally broke apart Cloud gasped for breath and thrust his hips again, the muscle definition he had built up through basic training tensing to prominence while his button-down pajama top slid up his torso. Something akin to a growl escaped Sephiroth as he grabbed the blonde’s jaw and sealed their lips together once more while his fist wrapped around the blonde’s dick, his wrist setting into motion as he pumped the Cloud’s cock with a passionate zest.

Strong quivers wracked the blonde, almost perfectly timed with the strengthening of his heat scent, saturating the air and Sephiroth’s clothes, even his skin as the silverette’s kiss grew even more demanding. With a strangled moan that mixed with itself some sort of grunt, the blonde’s hips gave one last jerk before cum shot into the General’s hand and the inside of his boxers. Cloud released a pleased sigh of relief as he sagged, bones loose while Sephiroth grabbed the hem of the cadet’s pants and roughly started to tug the material down his legs.

Cloud’s haze fogged brain cleared enough to sound the alarm, an alarm of fear over the unknown as he froze in the General’s lap. Releasing a grunt of displeasure Sephiroth separated lips and their eyes locked. Cloud’s head was still swimming and his vision still blurred, the shivers across his skin were still present, though less intense. 

“S-Sephiroth, sir?” Cloud gasped. Sephiroth’s hand stilled, and the blonde stared, unable to focus his vision completely, but he was pretty sure there was something wrong with the man’s eyes. The stare down was brief, and after the moment passed, Sephiroth resumed yanking on Cloud’s pants as if to discard any protest the blonde may have had. It was a low rumble when Sephiroth’s lips parted, something like a hushed whisper that growled almost maliciously. Cloud almost didn’t quite catch it, and he wasn’t even quite sure he heard it, but it had sounded like a word of possession, of staking his claim. Something that couldn’t be real.

“Mine.”

Cloud’s lips were captured again where Sephiroth’s tongue sought out the blonde’s, and instantaneously the pleasure of the feeling of their tongues meeting, the pleasure of the scent that smothered him lulled the blonde to peace as his pants and boxers came off with a rough yank. Cloud’s lips were released again and he was turned to lay on his back while the General pulled his legs apart and slid in between them. Cloud watched through hazy eyes as the heat in his body began to flare again with the racing of his heart. It was happening. Oh, God, it was really happening, right now, with the one person he never could have expected. There was no scale of which could be used to rate just how impossible Cloud had thought this scenario was. Sephiroth’s hands moved with impatience as the gloves were pulled off and thrown to the side without care before grabbing at his belt. As soon as the General’s pants button came loose and zipper audibly slid down, Cloud couldn’t believe the sudden rush of saliva in his mouth.

Mortified even as his cock swelled against his belly, the blonde wiped at his mouth, wishing he could control it better. The dick that was pulled free made Cloud’s heart skip a beat even though his prick hardened further, and to the blonde’s surprise he actually felt the rush of warm fluid seeping out of his ass hole. Sephiroth’s hands left slid down to Cloud’s ass and without slowing his urgent pace slid a finger in between the cheeks and touched the wetness of his ass. The blonde gasp, the teasing brush sent a powerful, foreign throb of pleasure to his swollen balls and cock as it began to leak against his belly. 

“Looks like you’re ready,” Sephiroth panted as his finger easily slid in past the ring of muscles with no real resistance, drawing forth a pleasured gasp from Cloud as his hips jerked. It felt so weird, but at the same time, it had been an oddly pleasant sensation as the silverette probed his long finger in deeper all the way up to the last knuckle and the blonde groaned, back arching slightly. Sephiroth quickly slipped his finger free and hefted Cloud’s legs up as he angled the cadet’s hips. With the blonde’s ankles at his backside, Sephiroth stabilized the younger man’s hip with his left hand while his right grabbed his dick and guided it to the slick ring of puckered muscles.

Cloud’s eyes widened when he saw and then felt the silverette press down on him while pressure pushed against his hole. He took in a deep breath, hands searching to grab at something on the alley floor but only finding a discarded and bent up flier as the General’s cock broke apart the muscles of his hole and pushed in, aided by the natural slick the blonde’s excitement had produced. It hurt, never had something been inserted in there, and as his hole flowered open around Sephiroth’s impressive girth, spreading wider with each inch pushed inside, the blonde’s jaw clenched tight while tears pricked the corners of his eyes. Sephiroth did not go slow as he pushed forward, and Cloud gasped as his back arched as it to alleviate the painful pressure of spreading open wide around the cock of the man on top of him, impatiently probing deep. A low groan of pleasure slithered out from Sephiroth’s mouth as he settled onto his hands on either side of Cloud, his head hung down, causing his hair to fall forward in a curtain, spilling over the cadet and the dirty alley floor. The deeper it went the more the blonde squirmed until suddenly, Sephiroth’s hips were flush against his ass. Cloud bit his bottom lip, his brow twisted in discomfort. To feel so stretched, so full was entirely new, which his heat only made confusing as the cadet found himself torn between some sort of pleasure and pain.

Sephiroth stopped for a moment, panting for stuttered breaths that only made Cloud’s feverish shivers continue. There wasn’t a part of the man that wouldn’t entice Cloud’s omega nature to react, and the blonde groaned in pleasure as his cock throbbed against his abdomen. What was it about that smell that was so enthralling? That simply made everything feel so much worse only to later make things better? It was cruel. The Sephiroth was still only a moment, eyes closed and face set into a firm expression as he drew his hips back with a subdued grunt, eliciting a strange tingling sensation inside Cloud as the silverette’s dick slid back before sliding back in at a slightly faster speed. A gasp hit the back of Cloud’s throat when his hips rolled forward with the return thrust and something pleasurable sparked inside him. Pleasure began to shape the contours of Sephiroth’s face as his hips drew back, a little quicker before pushing forward even faster, drawing forth an electrical zip of pleasure through the blonde on each forward and backward slide of the General’s cock. Sephiroth picked up pace rapidly, sliding his cock forward and back through the slick ring of tight muscles, rubbing pleasure into Cloud each time a particular spot was rubbed against.

Cloud’s face flushed further in pleasure as his lower body was rolled back and forward with Sephiroth’s hips, moving faster and faster until he began to bounce and moan on the alley floor. Stronger and more persistent the sensation was as it zipped through the blonde’s throbbing, leaking cock and zapping any coherent thought from his buzzing brain. Their breaths and moans echoed in the narrow alleyway, their little alcove of privacy, though really it could be penetrated at any moment by a late night passerby. Shrouded in the dark shadows of the night presented by the closed businesses Sephiroth’s rhythm grew harder and faster as Cloud’s moans increased in volume, beginning to overpower Sephiroth’s as his feet and toes curled, flexing at the General’s backside. As the blonde rocked and bounced on the alley floor he found he could no longer take it, even if it felt so good being rubbed in there he needed to do something to relieve the deep ache in his bouncing dick.

Cloud reached down his body, grabbed his prick and began to furious pump its slick length, matching the fast slides of Sephiroth’s cock rubbing inside him, filling him out on each return and stroking that spot with each slide. Cloud’s pajama shirt stuck to his body, the thin material looking somewhat darker in a few places as his body rocked with the General’s hips. Sephiroth suddenly gave a gasped grunt when his eyes opened and looked upon Cloud, beholding the sight of the blonde’s flushed, panting face as his fist jerked up and down his dick. Suddenly swelling with intense pleasure at such a lascivious sight the silverette leaned forward, folding the blonde more as his hips jerked at an erratic pace lost of rhythm. The General’s lips sloppily met the blonde’s left cheek, licking and kissing as the thrusting of his cock grew more desperate. Cloud’s moans broke at the back of his throat, desperate and wet as his head jerked back, his entire body on fire his fist moved faster. So close, he was so close! Sephiroth’s low moans and puffs of breath broke against the blonde’s ear, eliciting sharp shocks of pleasure all through his body as orgasm crushed into the cadet as he tensed, cum spurting over his hand and stomach.

A hissed growl of a sound passed from Sephiroth as his hips jerked, cock rubbing into the quivering, tight ring of muscles until he claimed the high of orgasm and crushed his hips against the cadet before he stilled, cuming heavily into the body clenching him greedily. Muscles locking tight a primal urge assailed Sephiroth. Almost as if tinging in the very enamel of his teeth and into the nerves around his jaw Sephiroth sought out and snapped into the tender flesh at the side of the blonde’s throat.

Cloud screamed, body convulsing against the General as his hands grabbed hold of the lapels of the man’s duster and shoved without thought. Pain blazed through the left side of Cloud’s neck, up to the top of his head and down into his shoulder as tears spilled out of his left eye. When Sephiroth was finally able to relax his body and release his jaw, only a beat was missed before he tore away from the blonde, his soft, wet cock slipping out the cadet as he let the young man’s body drop to the alley floor. Cloud clutched his neck, a pained sound hissing from his throat as the silverette stared, eyes wide, though his pupils quickly narrowed back into slits despite the alarm that shaped the contours of his Elven face. Sephiroth’s fingers touched his mouth, he could taste the blood, could feel the trace amounts of it on his lips. He watched as Cloud rolled over onto his stomach, his hand still clutching his throat, groaning in pain.

Cloud’s vision swam. Everything was moving, the ground, the buildings, even the sky felt like it was swaying to and fro. The heat was gone, replaced with an ice-cold feeling that was further accentuated by the chilled night air that caressed his sweat covered body. The pain was less severe, but the dull throb kept shooting into his eardrum with a sharp pinprick of pain on each pump of his heart. His vision darkened as tears blurred his vision. What was happening? Why did this have to happen? Why did he have to be an omega? Was this what it was like? Was he going to be treated this way for the rest of his life? Before Cloud could decipher the chaotic flurry of thoughts rampaging through his mind, muddled with erratic emotion, his vision darkened and his neck lost all strength, dropping his head to the ground. Within seconds, unable to fight a sudden, unnatural fatigue, Cloud sagged onto the ground as his world drifted into uncomfortable darkness.


	3. Stuck Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a terrible dream of his recent past, Cloud wakes up surrounded by a pleasing scent that instills some rather confusing feelings. While getting ready to escape, Cloud runs into none other than Sephiroth, who has a very uncomfortable announcement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you to all of you who have showed support, it really means a lot! Things are settling down a bit now as the two have their first actual conversation, and its an discomforting one.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

It was with a heavy heart dulled with drugs that Cloud’s bunk was cleared out. Dressed back in his civilian clothes the blonde was put into an ATV with what appeared to be a rather disgruntled ShinRa staff member. His staff badge indicated that he was in the science division. Curious, Cloud stared at the man’s pensive expression, there was no mood in the man to speak or even make eye contact. In fact, the blonde almost felt like if he so much as breathed on the man he would have glared at him. The trip was roughly fifteen minutes across the expansive concrete and iron land that ShinRa owned. Cloud wasn’t sure where he was in terms of geography around the ShinRa building, but they eventually came to a stop at an inconspicuous door. It blended in with everything around it with only a small slotted window and doorknob. Above it read ‘Staff’. His chauffeur got out, scanned his badge, punched in a code, and opened the door, his lips still pressed into a thin line as he turned and looked at Cloud who had remained seated. 

“Get in,” the man ordered, his voice clipped. Anxiety started to tickle the blonde’s already weak heart as he stepped out with his change of clothes and issued pajamas in his arms. The rest of his things were being sent home ahead of him, but he had been allowed to keep anything he could carry. Among the few things Cloud had brought from Nibelheim when he joined, it was a small frame with a photo featuring Cloud as a boy with his mom that he took from his things at the bunker. It wasn’t like it mattered much, he’d be home with it after a week anyway, but some sort of impulse urged him to take it. Cloud stepped inside, stopping briefly to stare down at the dimly lit hallway. The door slammed shut loud and heavy at his backside before giving a beep and loud click. The science division man passed the blonde, and though he hesitated, Cloud followed. His stomach was starting to knot up. Was it really necessary to be this secure? Was his heat that much of a problem? Even with the shot they’d given him? Then again, it wasn’t like he could be affected by his own pheromones. Cloud knew there were a lot of alphas crawling around ShinRa, but it still seemed excessive. The science division staffer stopped and opened a door to the right, brightening up the space of the hallway it occupied. 

“Come on, this is it,” the man declared and Cloud picked up his pace before turning to shyly peek inside. It was a brightly lit office. A counter took up the right side of the room where a woman stood in a simple pantsuit topped with a white lab coat. The blonde’s throat went dry as his heart stuttered in his chest. There were a few choice placed potted plants in the room, a pin-board full of print outs, a chart, and on the left side of the room a couple of chairs. Directly in front of him was a pair of double doors with frosted glass taking up the upper portion. A shove to Cloud’s right shoulder made him stumble in. Quickly Cloud turned to look, but the door closed shut behind him with another beep and loud click. 

“You’re Strife, correct?” the woman asked, drawing the blonde’s blue gaze. Nervously he walked to the counter and stood straight. 

“Yeah,” he answered and the woman gave him an empty smile. She clearly didn’t seem impressed with him either. It almost felt like he was being scolded for doing something wrong. Or maybe it was just the job. 

“Sign your name here,” the woman said as she pulled a paper from a manila folder sitting at the lower counter on her side and slid it facing upright in front of Cloud with a pen at its side.

“Um, what am I signing for?” Cloud asked, a touch of nervousness shaking his voice as he set his bundle of clothes and photo on the countertop. 

“Signing in. You have to. It’s to verify that you have indeed arrived,” the woman deadpanned. Cloud picked up the pen and glanced down at the paperwork in front of him. There were actually multiple pages stapled together and a large amount of font that seemed to be a little smaller than usual. Cloud squinted to read, but he was interrupted. 

“It’s just legal mumbo jumbo. By signing you agree that you understand that you are here because of your heat. That you will take your medications. That you will not start fights with anyone else here or cause intentional trouble to the staff. Basically, be cooperative and be on your best behavior and you’ll not be arrested and tried,” the woman explained. “And of course, that you are cognizant of your condition as an omega and understand that omega regulations apply to you.” Cloud felt like his head was swimming from trying to rapidly skim the document while listening to the woman. So far it seemed to fall in line with what she was saying, but something still just felt wrong. But he was probably thinking too much of it. He had expected a medical facility, not one associated with the science division, but this was ShinRa, not a civilian outfit which was used to and would thus have more properly arranged facilities for omegas. The doctor himself has said that getting Cloud his suppressants on base would be difficult. Cloud attempted to flip the page when the woman’s hand pressed down on the paper with a sigh. 

“Look, I’m supposed to be signed off already. I can send you a copy of the document later, please just sign. You can read it all to your heart’s content later,” the woman said, and after a quick glance into her eyes, Cloud decided to hurry up and scrolled his name and date where it had been marked for him too.

“Good. Now, feel free to go inside. You’ll be able to find your room with your name listed at its side. Have a good rest,” the woman said as she took the stapled papers. Nervous, Cloud grabbed his bundle and walked to the door. Sliding his clothes and photo frame under one arm, he grabbed the door handle and stepped through. The sight that greeted him was a huge open area set up to look like a recreation room. Everything was pure white and for some reason, everything was angular.

The room itself was a giant square bathed in bright white light, and everything inside, the tables, armchairs, the rugs placed throughout the polished floor of the room, and the windows too, which Cloud realized with discomfort were barred were either square or rectangular. There was not a single rounded shape inside, as if the interior designer thought they had a sense of humor. There was a scattering of men dressed in the same pajamas the blonde had been issued; some played cards, some sat in front of the large TV. against one of the walls. Some read while some looked like they were asleep. And more than half of them looked like they must have been pregnant.

“Hey, there! I know it’s cliché, but let’s welcome the fresh meat! Welcome to Omega Square!”

~~~~~~

A soft warmth saturated Cloud’s skin, though the sensation that hit with most prominence was a strong, familiar scent. It was pleasant, masculine, and safe, lulling him into lazy contentment. Not wanting to move, Cloud kept his eyes closed and curled up a little more under his blanket, his cheek rubbing against his pillow. Though as the seconds ticked by and the logical part of his brain began to prod at him to pay attention to the smell, the blonde realized that the scent was not his own. Surprised, blue eyes slid open and Cloud shot up on his hands, lifting his chest from the mattress as he gazed around at a very different environment. It almost looked like a hotel suite. The bed he currently resided in took up the center of the rectangular room. A bedside table rest against the bed, housing a plain eggshell white lamp and black digital clock: the alarm reading seven fifteen in the morning with its bright red numbers. Swiveling his head Cloud took in the soft white walls, barren of decoration, and a random potted plant that looked fake. Twisting his torso Cloud slid to the edge of the King-sized bed and dropped his feet to the floor. Standing up a sharp pinch of pain zipped up his ass and the blonde winced as his hand drifted down and patted himself. Cloud’s lips parted, eyes going wide a moment when he recollected his encounter with the General in the alley. That’s right, the scent, the familiar smell that saturated the sheets, competing with the detergent was Sephiroth’s. Cloud touched his chest and patted down his pajamas. They were the same ones, there were even dirty smudges he could see in some places.

Lifting his eyes once again, Cloud surveyed the room. Stepping to the end of the bed, he saw the front door, and he wondered if it opened or not. Another door stood open to the left of the small, wide entry of the front door, revealing a decent sized bathroom. To his right, in front of the bed was a counter that formed the separation of the “bedroom” from the kitchen, which as he carefully padded his way over to, noted was a full kitchen. To the far right of the room nestled in a corner by the kitchen counter was a small round dining table with a few chairs. Passed that in the middle of the far wall was a wide sliding glass door; the shading of the glass told the blonde it was tinted to allow sight out, but not in. Satisfied with his observation the blonde turned to the front door and hurried his footsteps. At the door, he grabbed the handle and turned the knob. There was a pop in the door handle lock and the door rattled. Raising his eyes the cadet was embarrassed to find a large bolt. Undoing the second lock, he twisted the knob again the door came open without resistance, not even a sound. Cloud’s heart raced as he stepped into the hallway. What had happened? Cloud touched his neck and felt a large patch over the left side, which felt oddly numb to his touch. Looking down both ways Cloud realized he was in a large hallway bathed in overhead light. It went on for a long way in both directions. No windows, only doors upon doors, each of which was numbered. 12573 was the number posted at the door he came out of. So… twelfth floor, room 573? Was he in some apartment complex? Or was this military related? Though, ShinRa no doubt owned it, which made it all the same anyway.

There was a familiar ding of an elevator before the clunky sound of doors opening to his right. Cloud tensed, unsure if he should duck back inside, and twisted to do so when his eyes caught sight of a tall dark figure stepping into the hallway, a long cascade of moonlight hair gently moving around the male frame. Cloud’s mouth went dry as the General turned, something in his arm pressed to his chest. Sephiroth’s eyes hit him immediately and the blonde froze, staring at the man a few dozen feet away. They stared at one another for a long tense moment. Cloud swallowed, his throat suddenly felt tight. Sephiroth then broke the standstill by walking toward him. The blonde glanced at the door, then to Sephiroth. It was the man’s apartment for God’s sake, it wasn’t like running in there would help him. The General stopped about five feet away, so close that the blonde could smell that comforting scent again. Why did it feel so good to smell him? It wasn’t like before when it had aroused him into torturous stupidity. 

“Running away again?” Sephiroth’s deep voice fell over Cloud in a soft, commanding rumble and the blonde felt his heart flutter a little, but shook himself to clear away the irrational feeling. 

“What do you want with me? You had your fun with me last night, I want out,” Cloud demanded in as firm a voice he could muster as he straightened his back in defiance. A small curve quirked the General’s lips. 

“Fun with you? I think last night was not fun for either of us,” Sephiroth said. Cloud blinked in confusion. “If you had been on suppressants then none of that would have happened,” the man said before giving into a thoughtful pause. “And I…” Sephiroth paused again, his words drifting slowly towards the cadet while his eyes drift down as if in shame for a moment. “I lost control. Thanks to that, whether we like it or not, we’ll have to live with each other,” the silverette declared as he lifted his face again and met the blonde’s eyes without waver. Cloud gave an indignant grunt. What the hell was he talking about? 

“Why do we have to stay together? If it was a mistake, let’s leave it at that. Just look the other way and you’ll never have to deal with me again,” Cloud bargained. “You obviously did not take me back to Omega Square. So why not pretend to have lost me?” 

“Because neither of us can,” Sephiroth countered before he strolled up to the blonde who stepped back, but instead of pressing on the cadet the General turned to his door and opened it. “Even if you were so delirious with fever that you don’t remember being bitten, you must have found the bandage on your neck by now.” Sephiroth then stepped inside, leaving his door open. Cloud stared and touched his neck again. 

“What does you maiming me have to do with anything? Stop being so cryptic,” the blonde declared even as he hesitantly stepped through the door. But only a few feet inside did he venture as he watched the SOLDIER. Sephiroth had sat on the end of the bed, his small wrapped package sitting beside him. The silverette looked over at the blonde, those cat-like eyes unnerving in how easy they penetrated into the blonde. As hard as Cloud looked, he couldn’t figure out what the man was thinking or feeling. And then, the General gave a sigh as he looked away.

“I can’t tell if you’re playing me a fool or really are just that stupid,” he said and the blonde bristled some as the prod.

“I don’t have to stand here listening to this. I can run away right now,” Cloud said as he glanced down the hall to where he now knew an elevator resided. 

“True. Though security would not allow you to leave. And if you did manage to subdue them, you’d be forced to come back to me. And likewise, I would also find myself seeking you. After enough time passes,” the silverette said. Cloud’s brow tensed, frustrated as he pursed his lips in growing irritation. To think, the man he had idolized, that he would have probably humiliated himself over in youthful excitement was like this. That the very same man had ravaged him and now sat there, talking in condescending words. This was the real man behind the celebrity, what no tabloid, TV. appearance or news article could ever truly capture. 

“I don’t understand what the hell you’re talking about. If there’s something you know that I don’t, say it,” Cloud shot back. Sephiroth stared at the blonde again moment before leaning back on his hands. 

“Where are you from? I can’t imagine a kid growing up in Midgar would be so uninformed,” the General said and Cloud’s lips pressed into a thin line as he walked into the room and pulled out a chair at the dinner table. Sitting down while ignoring the pain in his ass, he stared at the silverette. After a moment of petulant silence from the blonde Sephiroth nodded once to himself. 

“When an alpha bites an omega during their heat, especially after or during a sexual encounter, the two become bonded. Mated. Whatever term you like. I bit you,” Sephiroth stated, though his voice had softened somewhat toward the end. 

“What?” Cloud muttered as the words sank in slow. It didn’t sound real. Was that a lie? But, what did the General have to gain from lying? He had basically accused Cloud of ruining his night.

“Did you never learn this in school?” Sephiroth asked. The blonde lowered his head and shook it as his hands drifted to his thighs. 

“No. I never learned anything about omegas in Nibelheim,” the blonde informed. He looked up at the silverette, brows twisted in dismay. “Please tell me you’re lying. I don’t want any of this.” As Cloud spoke his voice fell to an anguished whisper as his jaw tensed and his eyes lowered.

“I’m not,” Sephiroth declared. Silence fell between the two, and as the silverette watched, he noticed the way the blonde’s shoulders rose in tension as his fingers twisted into the fabric of his pants. Whether it was out of pity or not, when the General spoke again it was in a softer, gentler tone. 

“We can’t undo what happened. But we can try to move forward. I’ve already started the paperwork needed to get you permanent residency with me,” Sephiroth explained, drawing a small twitch from the blonde.

“So, I’m going to live here?” Cloud asked and the silverette nodded. 

“I could move I suppose if this place doesn’t suit you. It’s military housing for those of high rank,” Sephiroth said. He glanced up at the popcorn ceiling before giving a sideways glance at Cloud. “All of which of course means, you will not have to go back to Omega Square.” The news got a formal reaction out the blonde as he looked up, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape in his surprise. “So I guess you can say your escape attempt was a complete success. A bonded omega cannot be in the program, naturally.” Cloud stared as he listened, taking in the news with strong interest. So he was… free? Well, perhaps that wasn’t the right descriptor. But he wouldn’t be in that hell hole anymore. Sephiroth speaking again yanked the blonde from a building swirl of thoughts and memories. 

“Why did you sign up for the program if you were going to run away? Was it more than you could handle? I’ve never heard of an escape attempt, though perhaps it was the first where an attempt succeeded,” Sephiroth said before adding, as if an afterthought as his eyes roved over the blonde’s frame, remembering the events of the night before. “You’re quite large for an omega, if I hadn’t known you were one beforehand I would have thought you to be a beta,” Sephiroth noted. Cloud looked down at his arms, noting the muscle he had been so proud to build after all the grueling workouts in basic training. And how much stronger he had wanted to become.

“I thought I was a beta, too,” he said, his voice tightening. Sephiroth sat up straight, watching the blonde with piqued interest. 

“How?”

“I’m a late bloomer,” Cloud declared. “This last time… it was only my second heat. I was doing my compulsory service, had just finished basic training when it hit the first time,” the blonde explained before anger began to smolder in his chest and tighten the planes of his face. “They lied to me. I signed a contract under false pretenses, a contract that they told me was just a standard agreement to behave while in heat or be arrested while I waited to be discharged so that I could go home. I never, I never agreed to go to that place,” Cloud explained, his voice drifting into silence before he decided to add a little more, to make his point that much more clear. “I was supposed to go home, back to Nibelheim.” A heavy silence filled the air, linger like a bad smell before Sephiroth suddenly stood, walked over to the front door, and closed it. The silverette lingered at the barrier before speaking, his voice soft, almost cautious. 

“I see,” Sephiroth said, something mysterious in his voice. Cloud watched the General, staring at his back. “It wouldn’t be the first time ShinRa has lied and manipulated someone into something. I’ll bet… it was Hojo. Late bloomers are very rare, and there are ridiculous myths surrounding them that would intrigue that half mad brain.” The blonde’s brow twisted, pondering the unknown name in his mind. Was Hojo a man in the science department? A big shot it sounded like. Sephiroth walked back over to the bed and picked up his package without sparing Cloud a glance. The blonde watched, feeling torn between being let down or angry for the lack of response. But then again, what could he expect? The General to sympathize and passionately declare himself to be his hero? No, the only one who could be Cloud’s hero was himself. It was why he chose  
to escape. And why he fought the guards to do it. The blonde took a measured breath to calm himself and spoke again. 

“What myths?” he asked. He should learn more about omegas. Even Cloud realized it was stupid for him to not know anything about omegas; to think an alpha knew more than him made it worse. Nibelheim’s way of handling and teaching people about sex was weird, even the blonde had thought it was dumb as a teenager. Because he had never gone into heat, and because he had not tested to be an alpha, he was actually taught very little about anything related to omegas and alphas, only the things pertinent to himself. Betas did not go into heat, male betas could not get pregnant, they were not affected by pheromones, and were naturally physically stronger than omegas, but of course, paled in comparison to alpha who were naturally advantaged in every conceivable way. Really fucked things up for late bloomers like himself.

“That children born from late-blooming omegas are superior. That they give birth to superior alphas. Which aligns too much with his interests,” Sephiroth explained as he placed the thin package on the table by Cloud. “For you.” After the silverette pulled away, Cloud slid the package into his hands and decided to pull the packaging off, and to his surprise, he found a new pajama set and on top of the folded material, was his old photo frame. Letting the clothes drop into his lap, Cloud picked up his frame and looked at the smiling faces of himself and his mom. Cloud was really scrawny with a terrible rat tail he’d thought looked so cool, and somehow his spiky hair looked even larger on his head; his cheeks were chubby with child youth, and his t-shirt was too big. His mom was next to him, an arm around his small shoulders, grinning. She was beautiful in her t-shirt and jeans. 

“Do you have anyone waiting for you back in Nibelheim?” Sephiroth asked as he walked into the kitchen. Cloud looked over his shoulder and watched as the silverette hunched over and opened up the fridge door. 

“My mom. I don’t know if they ever delivered my stuff to her like they said,” Cloud turned his sights back to his photo. “I don’t know if she’s been waiting for me, or if she has no idea.” The sound of Sephiroth rummaging the fridge filled the air before the man spoke.

“Perhaps we can see her then,” the silverette offered and Cloud twisted in his chair. 

“We can do that?” the blonde asked, not even realizing that he had used a plural referring to the two of them rather than himself.

“I have a lot of vacation days piled up. And since I have a bond now, I have obligations to you. Like buying you clothes,” Sephiroth said in a slightly distracted tone. When the man pulled away from the fridge he had a styrofoam container in his hand. Opening it up he took a sniff and wrinkled his nose before tossing it in the trash. 

“How about we order take out. You must be starved,” Sephiroth said as he closed the fridge door. Cloud stared a long moment, almost not comprehending what he had been participating in. It was… so normal. A normal conversation. After his desperate night, after their anything but proper bonding, whatever being a bond truly meant, here he was. He’d even lost his virginity to this man in an alley in the middle of the night. He was sitting in the General of Legend’s apartment instead of Omega Square. Sephiroth, the Sephiroth, was his bond, and they went from conspiracy centered conversations about ShinRa to talking about vacations, clothes, and uh… well… breakfast. It felt surreal. Like everything from the night before hadn’t happened. Sephiroth was hard to figure out. Sometimes he was cold, sometimes he was callous and biting, or seemed to be, and now he just felt like… a simple man with simple needs. Maybe Cloud really was still dreaming, and he’d wake up back in Omega Square.


	4. The Domestic Experience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud makes an effort to get to know his new environment and his bond before Zack Fair comes to disrupt the slow plod of his day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. Thank you all so much for the wonderful support! Sephiroth and Cloud have breakfast while getting to know each other a little more. 
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

Since Cloud didn’t know any restaurants or have much of a preference for anything, the General called in an order from a nearby place he apparently chose often by default. After a few minutes of silence that began to prick at the blonde, he decided to put his photo frame down and go to the bathroom. Though the idea of changing into a replica of the pajamas issued to him in Omega Square was nauseating, at least they were clean. He even had a clean pair of briefs to wear. Cloud looked around the bathroom as he dressed. The door opened right to the toilet. The sink was located to the left, in the cupboard beneath Cloud found basic bathroom supplies like toilet paper, cleaners, and some backup shampoo with conditioner and body wash. On the sink sat a small blue cup with one solitary toothbrush, and as the blonde stared he realized that he would have to have his own in there. Behind him, to the right of the door was a rather big bath with an overhead rainfall shower. There were no curtains or even glass to shield the floor from water spray, which made the blonde wonder just how wet the bathroom got after the General bathed, which was odd.

After washing his face and drying off, Cloud returned to the main room to find the sliding glass door open. Curiously he stepped through it and out into a hot summer sun. It was a balcony, and the General was leaned forward on the cement railing, looking down at the people and cars that drove by. Taking a spot next to the silverette Cloud placed his hands down on the rail and looked down too. It was hard to imagine, after being in basic training for so long, closed off from the world while in ShinRa, and then locked up in Omega Square, he seemed to have forgotten that he was in the middle of a city. Speaking of city. Cloud looked to Sephiroth.

“Where are we exactly?” he asked.

“Sector 8. Just west of the ShinRa corporation. I chose this building because it felt more… normal,” Sephiroth explained, his voice a soft hum. Cloud looked back down again. Certainly felt normal, if you were used to city life. It seemed pretty different to a country boy. The silverette pulled from the rail and walked back through the door, leaving the blonde behind. Cloud slid one hand from the rail and looked back to the entrance, debating on going back inside as well. He was following the General like a lost puppy he realized. Cloud turned back and looked at his left hand still on the rail. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He had known exactly what he was going to do until he had met Sephiroth. If he went back to Omega Square he was going to escape again, and he would keep trying to escape. The blonde had resolved that the only way ShinRa would be able to keep him is if they cut off his arms and legs and drugged him. 

Suddenly, he was in a situation he hadn’t hypothesized. Was he just going to sit around and play housemate to Sephiroth? But then… was that really so bad? Cloud couldn’t deny it, the way the man smelled, how being around him made the blonde feel. Even if it was to some degree artificial due to their sudden bonding, he had wanted to meet the man for so long. And he couldn’t help the pull of curiosity. What was it like, to live with a bonded mate? Would they be like other couples? Though so far they were anything but couply. Then again, they only met last night. And more, Sephiroth said they would not be able to stand not being near each other for too long, especially Cloud himself when he would go into his next heat. Monthly heats were hell. And the General had already easily made the promise of taking him home to see his mom. With a small nod, the blonde pulled from the rail and stepped back into the apartment, the decision to explore the situation for a while made. Later he could see if he wanted risk trying to be on his own. Who knows, maybe they would quickly start to get along and he’d be happy. He’d worry about the future later. Sometimes, one step at a time was necessary.

When Cloud came back inside, Sephiroth was speaking at the door with another man. Curiously the blonde tried to step over and see who it was, but the door closed. The silverette turned around and approached the former cadet where he stood by the dining table. A bag was in the General’s hands, and it was placed on the table before he lifted out the styrofoam containers.

“Let’s eat,” The smell that drifted from the containers triggered an almost painful growl from the blonde’s stomach. Cloud slid into a chair while the silverette pushed a container toward him before he went into the kitchen, grabbed a couple glasses from an overhead cupboard, and filled them with water before returning. Sliding a glass toward Cloud, the General took a seat and opened up his container while the blonde did the same. 

“I ordered something basic. If you don’t like eggs you’re stuck though,” the silverette said as the blonde’s eyes drank in fluffy eggs, cubed fried potatoes, and some toast dropped onto the food. Pulling the bread free the blonde immediately took a bite, delighting his taste buds with buttery sweetness before he grabbed the plastic fork laid on top and puncturing into the potatoes. 

“No, this is good. During basic training it was the same gross slop every day,” the blonde said after taking a large swallow to clear his mouth and talk. 

“The food fed to cadets is a basic blend that incorporates all the protein, fiber, and vitamins needed for productive training,” Sephiroth explained after swallowing and then placing a clump of fluffy eggs into his mouth. Cloud chanced a sideways glance, the silverette wasn’t very far from him thanks to the tiny round table, but he was so big next to the blonde. And the way he ate, so quick and deliberate, but almost oddly refined. Cloud hadn’t thought that there was such a thing as handsome eating.

“Oh, not surprising I guess,” the blonde muttered before directing his attention back his breakfast with butterflies in his stomach. He was eating breakfast with General Sephiroth, it was so simple and normal. It was weird. 

“What did you eat at home?” Sephiroth suddenly asked with vague interest. 

“Um… well… most meals were um, the same thing. In the morning we got to have eggs and toast though with it though. Every meal was pretty much just variations of the same meat,” Cloud said. The General paused and regarded the blonde a moment as he finished his second and last piece of toast.

“What meat was that? I’ve never personally been to Nibelheim so I don’t know the animal life. Other than Nibel Wolves anyway.”

“It’s Nibel Wolf,” Cloud declared, answering pointedly. It was funny buying cookbooks over mail and having them delivered, his mom did it all the time even though very few recipes had much to do with their primary source of meat. His mom always said that it would work out because she would just substitute whatever meat used with Nibel Wolf. Sometimes it worked, other times it ended up being almost the same as every other meal. 

“I see. I guess the reactor makes it hard to procure much animal or plant life to sustain a town the size of Nibelheim,” Sephiroth stated as he began to eat his potatoes. Cloud noticed right then that the silverette finished one food type before moving on to the next. First were his eggs, then his potatoes, and last it seemed would be his toast, unlike him. Cloud tended to just mix everything together, either on purpose or not. 

“Yeah. Since the wolves are such a danger to the town and frequently attack if their numbers aren’t kept low, so they were adopted as a food source long before the reactor was even a thing. At least, that’s what I learned in school. Most things are imported,” Cloud said as he finished his breakfast by sliding the last bit of egg and potato he had onto his fork and slid it into his mouth. Sephiroth was eating his toast, staring off at something without any real concentration.

“I would question anything that school taught you, considering how backward their sex classes are,” Sephiroth declared and Cloud felt a pinch in his chest, not exactly thrilled at the criticism. Even if there were issues, it was still his home town. To assume that everything was backward was sort of unfair. Perhaps sensing Cloud’s discontent Sephiroth looked at the blonde. 

“But I suppose I shouldn’t pre-judge. Even if their sex education is poorly managed,” the silverette said, and Cloud gave a slight nod as he stared at his dirty, but empty styrofoam container. The General stood then and collected their containers. Without the lid of his meal container in the way Cloud noticed that he had forgotten he had water. Grabbing the glass he took a drink. No doubt there would be times like this. They didn’t know each other. Cloud would probably do or say things that irritated Sephiroth too, it was inevitable. He would just have to forgive the man, he did give a sort of apology. 

“Well, I must leave for work. Normally I would have been there hours ago, but considering last night's events, I had to adjust my schedule,” Sephiroth said as he stopped at the threshold between the kitchen and main room. The silverette glanced at Cloud, who sat staring at the table. 

“I’ve already arranged for Lieutenant General Zack Fair to come by this afternoon. He will have something for you to change into so that you can go out and pick out some clothes and other necessities,” Sephiroth said. Cloud looked up at the General and then picked at his pajama top.

“I guess I’m using your money, huh?” Cloud asked, feeling a wave of discomfort wash over him at the idea. Discomfort and embarrassment. He had no means of taking care of himself being kicked out of the military and not having a job. He wouldn’t even be allowed to have a job because of the perils of omega heat. As little as Cloud knew about omegas, he knew that; everyone did. He had felt sympathy for omegas, being confined to pretty much just living as homemakers, but never really gave it much thought past that, but now he had to deal with the fact that it applied to him too. To grow up thinking he could do so many things, and now being told he couldn’t was becoming increasingly difficult to deal with the more he thought about it. It made Cloud wish he had paid more attention to it. 

“Don’t worry. Money isn’t an issue. However, I do ask that you be conscientious about what you buy,” the General said as he started walking towards the front door. Cloud watched him leave, feeling his heart sink heavily into his stomach.

“Okay. So… this Zack, what does he look like?” Cloud asked, swallowing past a swelling lump in his throat. 

“Spikey black hair. Mako eyes of course. He’s got a cross shaped scar on his cheek, and he’ll be far too friendly with little respect for personal space,” Sephiroth said before he opened the door. 

“I’ll see you tonight,” Sephiroth said. 

“Yeah, see you,” Cloud said in return as he watched the General step out and close the door. A second later he heard the doorknob, and then deadbolt lock. Taking a deep breath, the blonde released a long sigh. The apartment was dead quiet and too empty. It made it feel bigger than it was despite its small size. Finishing his water, Cloud pushed his chair in and started for the sink when he realized that Sephiroth’s glass of water was still on the table; he had not drunk a drop. Grabbing the silverette’s full glass, Cloud took them to the sink and returned to the main room, idly touching the patch over his neck. He could feel some tingling now when he touched it. There must have been some numbing agent applied to it when he was treated, which made the blonde wonder where Sephiroth took him to be treated. A hospital? ShinRa? Or did he do it himself? 

Probably the apartment’s worst crime was that there was absolutely nothing to do. Since Cloud had basically become the General’s lover the blonde decided he had the right to explore the man’s living quarters. And there was absolutely nothing interesting, or to do. There wasn’t even anything in it that really showed that someone lived in it. Cloud had compared the apartment to a hotel room, but even hotel rooms had a more lived-in feeling. There was not one picture to be seen and the walls were completely naked. The floor was a plain white, the bedding a blue-gray color. The bed frame was metal, colored a dark gray. The entire apartment was gray-white, lacking any color other than the numbers of the alarm clock. It was almost depressing.

The kitchen Cloud discovered had not one cooking utensil. Not even one pan, no spatulas, nothing. The only gadget was a coffee maker. The cupboard above the sink only have a basic set of glasses and mugs. The cupboard under the sink only housed extra dish soap, and it was unscented. The blonde was starting to suspect that the General intentionally made it look like he had no presence, like he didn’t exist. When he walked into the center of the apartment before the bed, he couldn't help feeling somewhat disappointed. All of his exploration of his childhood idols home had been boring and had killed roughly only 20 minutes. This Zack guy wouldn’t be coming until the afternoon and it was only nine o’clock. How boring. Cloud looked the bathroom and patted his chest, his cheeks growing hot when he realized that he had not showered since having sex the night before, perhaps he should clean himself up before bemoaning his bland cell anymore that day.

After Cloud adjusted the water temperature to a suitable temperature he quickly began to yank his button up top off, revealing a network of budding muscles as they tensed and slid beneath his creamy skin, his mind giving an amateur deduction on the General’s psyche. It wasn’t like he had anything else to entertain himself. Why was there nothing in Sephiroth’s place that even showed a hint of personality? Surely he wasn’t that insipid. Conspiratorially the blonde wondered if perhaps the General did intentionally try to pretend he didn’t exist. But what reason could he have? Or maybe Sephiroth just didn’t care. Cloud couldn’t imagine not caring, not wanting to express himself at least a little bit. Though the blonde had never been one to slather his walls with posters and decorate his space with collectibles, he did put on display things he cared about. Even though they weren’t real, Cloud had been jazzed when he was 12 and his mom bought 2 amazing replica swords that he had helped her mount to his bedroom wall. He’s had a c.d. player, comics that he kept in a box under his bed, a ragged old brown rabbit doll from his infantile years that just never got thrown away. 

Cloud stepped under the spray of the warm water from the rainfall shower, his hair slowly sinking down and hanging around his face as he drenched his body before searching out some body wash, finding a nearly full bottle of what he had found under the bathroom sink. It seemed that the silverette liked to stalk up on everything, from dish soap to toothpaste. Looking at the label the blonde was surprised to find the first thing in the apartment that actually showed some sort of preference the man had. Waterfall was the scent title, and as Cloud popped the cap open and sniffed, he was caught in the smell of some sort of soft, slightly flowery scent, though mostly it just smelled like soap. Very mild, but pleasant. He hadn’t picked it up on the man at all, overpowered the General’s natural body odor. Well, whatever that smell was that made the blonde like to be around him. Finding a washcloth hung on a rail over the protruding, built-in soap dish Cloud squeezed some soap out. Stepping back out of the downpour he worked the wet cloth over his body, rubbing until white suds formed over his skin. Hopefully, the silverette wouldn’t be grossed out by sharing it. Back under the water Cloud used soapy hands to clean between the cheeks of his ass, a pink dusting his cheeks as he did so. 

Satisfied with his washing, Cloud worked some shampoo into his hair, noting the scent was ‘bamboo’. Also, nature inspired it seemed. The scent was a lot more fragrant, and unlike the body wash Cloud realized he had smelled the shampoo on the pillow he had woken up on. So, at least there was something the General liked that wasn’t as unnoticeable as possible. It seemed that he put a little more attention to his body, rather than his apartment, though it still seemed minimized. Once all clean, Cloud turned the water off, stepped out, and grabbed a towel before patting himself dry. Finally clean and feeling somewhat relaxed the blonde dressed and walked back out into the room again. But there was still nothing to do. 

Cloud glanced at the sliding glass door and realized somewhat sheepishly that it had been left open when he’d been in the shower. It was a good thing they were so high up, but that didn’t mean some weirdo couldn’t try to get in. It was only nine-thirty and the blonde released a morose sigh. And then an amazing idea hit. Even if he was an omega, he could still do everything he could to get stronger. Maybe, maybe he could surprise everyone with how much he could do, even as an omega. After all, he had already defied expectations in apparently more than one way, his body and physical ability being the most prominent, and most importantly, it would kill time. It would be better to work out than lay around wasting away anyway. With that thought in mind, Cloud warmed up before he dropped to the floor and assumed a proper push-up position. Ready, he began to count. He would work out either until his chaperon showed up, or he couldn’t work out anymore. 

After doing push-ups until the muscles in his arms and sides tensed with pain, the blonde had switched to various weight free workouts he’d been drilled with while in basic training. As time progressed the blonde was soaked in sweat and panting for breath. He took short breaks to rest his muscles and hydrate before picking it up again. By around noon Cloud was having a hard time keeping it going. His muscles trembled now whenever he moved and they were giving a warning for him to rest. Knowing he had met his limit, the blonde let himself perform a few cool-down stretches and flopped onto his back on the edge of the unmade bed, feet still to the floor. 

Cloud took a deep breath through the nose the blonde froze a moment, a pleasurable hum moving through his body when the General’s scent saturated his senses to a ridiculous degree. Realizing his work out had probably opened up his senses to higher degrees temporarily, the blonde released a soft groan and rolled over onto his side, grabbed up some blanket, and pulled it to his face. It wasn’t like anyone could see him, even though it was embarrassing enough to make Cloud’s face hot, it was too relaxing to smell Sephiroth around him. Closing his eyes, the blonde allowed his muscles to go lax and pulled his legs up onto the bed. A tingling numbness began to work through his muscles and deep into the marrow of his bones as a drowsiness began to work through his brain, discombobulating his thoughts. 

“Hey, there!” The new fairly deep voice that called made the blonde jackknife up on the bed with a gasp, wide eyes jerking to the newcomer standing in the open front doorway. Cloud jumped over the end of the bed, his feet planting on the ground in easy access toward his only escape, heart thrumming in panic as he stared at a new face, a man with black spikey hair holding up a cellphone in his direction. After taking a snapshot, the raven-haired man slid his phone into his back pocket and held out his arms in a welcoming gesture, his mako blue eyes unguarded and warm. 

“My name's Zack Fair. Sephiroth told you about me,” the man introduced. Cloud stared for a long moment while taking measure to calm his breathing, which in turn calmed his heart. Tension filled the blonde’s brow as his eyes sharpened somewhat in annoyance. Slowly relaxing, Cloud crossed his arms over his stomach, his lips drawn into a pout. 

“Wow. Didn’t mean to scare you so much. It was just… I didn’t expect to see something so cute, you know?” Zack informed with a gesture toward the bed. The blonde’s eyes went to the bed, his brooding expression growing more stern as he looked away toward the kitchen, and Zack gave a small nervous chuckle as he scratched at his temple with his index finger. 

“You should have knocked,” Cloud muttered. 

“I did,” Zack informed and the blonde gave the raven a side glance. 

“I mean, I didn’t knock forever. But I did knock. Since I got no answer I was a little worried. I mean, Seph suddenly took in some random guy and told me to take him clothes shopping. And he didn’t come to work on time today, well, usually he’s early,” Zack prattled on as he crossed one arm over his stomach and cupped his chin with his other hand, clearly in deep ponder. Cloud watched him, getting the feeling that the Zack he had been waiting for was the happy go lucky type. People like that were usually draining.

“Well, anyway. I know better than to prod the bear, so I’m just here doing what he asked me to do,” Zack declared as his hands slid to his hips and he gave a wide, tooth-filled grin. Despite the SOLDIER’s words, Cloud couldn’t help but notice that the man seemed a little too excited for being there just to do what Sephiroth asked him to. “Oh!” Zack gasped as he spun around, walked to the wide open door, and grabbed something that had been on the floor. Turning around the raven-haired soldier walked back into the room and over toward Cloud before stopping a few feet away when the blonde took a step back from him. Perhaps realizing he was being too aggressive, the SOLDIER held out his hands with what appeared to be a set of clothes wrapped in a clear bag. 

“Your clothes for the day. They’re actually mine, but they’re old. They’ll be big, but they should fit you,” Zack said before suddenly his brow tensed. Cloud’s muscles wound tight as the SOLDIER sniffed the air between them.

“Hey, are you an omega?” Zack asked curiously. Cloud’s face flushed and he averted his gaze. The raven-haired man’s face opened up in surprise before a Cheshire like grin spread his lips. 

“Oh~ Now I’m really curious,” Zack said. Frustration started to well up in Cloud as he stared at the SOLDIER. Sephiroth had given him an apt description. Zack dropped the playful, almost plotting look on his face, perhaps in response to the blonde’s reaction, before giving Cloud a more pointed, curious look. “You’re awful big for an omega. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an omega get as big as you,” Zack noted. Cloud took in a deep breath and slowly released it as he reached out and took the clothes. 

“Yeah, Sephiroth said the same thing,” the blonde answered. Zack nodded lightly. 

“That’s interesting,” the SOLDIER said as Cloud walked past him to the bathroom to change. 

“Well, when you get out we’ll grab a bite to eat and then get you some clothes. You’ll tell me how you and Seph met, right?” Zack asked, his eyes locked onto the bandage adorning the blonde’s throat. Cloud didn’t answer as he closed the door and took the clothes out of the bag. Inside it was a charcoal t-shirt with a small Chocobo in the upper right corner. The pants were black cargo pants that were intended to be baggy. The pants fit relatively well, though they were too long. Zack looked to be about the same height as Sephiroth, so that wasn’t a surprise. The t-shirt was really baggy and hung down to the upper middle of Cloud’s thighs. Under all the clothes were a pair of black Velcro sandals, which were also a bit too big, but the blonde knew he could work with them as he walked out of the bathroom. 

Zack was seated at the dining table, slouched down, and staring out the open balcony door, a look of thought on his face. His expression was gentle and lax, there was a look of kindness in his eyes that the blonde could feel, and it made him wonder if maybe he could get along with him. Something about his powerfully built, broad frame but relaxed, confident body language made him feel… comforting. Or maybe Cloud was reacting to his alpha scent, he had no idea. Though if he was, he noted that it was most definitely like how he felt around Sephiroth. Perhaps it had to do with being bonded. 

“I’m ready,” Cloud said, drawing the SOLDIER’s electric blue eyes. Zack smiled and stood up. 

“Great! You look pretty good, actually!” the raven-haired man declared as he walked over, his steps much more measure and casual than before, even his voice was a little lower. He stopped a few feet from Cloud and gestured with his arms. 

“Ready to eat?” he asked and the blonde gave a small nod. It would be best to try to get to know the man more. Suddenly he seemed a lot calmer, and Cloud wondered if the SOLDIER was adjusting his energy to fit his. The word adaptable came to the blonde’s mind. The man was adaptable. Zack walked over, closed the sliding glass door, locked it, and took the lead to the front door where he opened it and waited for Cloud. Turning a soft smile to the blonde, Zack motioned him forward. 

“I know a really good place.”

Sephiroth was working through a tall stack of papers on his desk. His duster was hanging on a coat wrap nailed to the back wall of his office behind him, by that was Masamune in her sheath. His office was rather plain, though one bookshelf sat off to the side of his desk, nestled against the corner of the room. A couple of file drawers sat to the other side of his desk, and two chairs sat before him, empty. His computer hummed softly to the side, though he was ignoring it. The General ignored the first ping from his pocket, but a few minutes later when he received a second, and gave a grunt as his brow twisted in annoyance. Sliding his phone out of the pocket of his pants Sephiroth turned on the screen and looked at ShinRa messenger. 

First was the text: _This the guy? Who is this?_ Then there were two photos, tapping on them, the silverette was greeted by the sight of Cloud snuggling his face into a bundled up portion of blanket, his legs drawn up toward his chest. The second one was the blonde upright and clearly disturbed, almost downright pouting, maybe even glaring. Sephiroth heaved a bothered sigh. Of course Zack would earn such a reaction when sneaking up on a sleeping person. Tapping the last one again to minimize it, the silverette paused a moment before tapping the first. Cloud’s hair was pushed into the bedding, the spikes disrupted in his sleep with the thick hair fibers broke apart, as the General had seen when he’d put the blonde to sleep earlier that morning. His eyes lingered only a moment, pupils widening slightly before he closed the app, turned off notifications, and turned off the screen. Sephiroth then dropped his phone to the side of his desk to be ignored.


	5. Settling In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zack takes Cloud shopping before dropping an unwanted nugget of information that makes the blonde concerned about his future with Sephiroth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! A new chapter here! I'm sorry for the slowdown. I wanna make sure I establish Cloud adjusting to his new situation as well as show he and Seph getting to know each other before the bulk to the story begins. but, next chapter there will be some fun~
> 
> And for those wondering, there will be further elaboration on Omega Square soon too.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has shown support on this story so far! I hope you enjoy this new chapter as well!
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

When they reached the apartment lobby entrance Cloud followed Zack to the right where a large door was located, locked with a pad code and ID scan. Once inside revealed a gigantic locker room that the SOLDIER navigated to a specific locker, punched in a four-digit code, and popped open the door. It was nearly as tall as the First, and the blonde watched as Zack fastened carious straps over his chest and torso. A second later out came a massive buster sword. The blonde’s eyes grew wide as he watched the SOLDIER expertly slide the weapon into place on his back, holstered by metal fittings that held it in place. Zack flashed Cloud a smile. 

“We can’t take our weapons into the actual apartment building, so when we go home for the day, we store our stuff here. Seph has to as well,” Zack explained and though it took the blonde a moment to respond, he gave a nod. It made sense. It made sure there could be no incidents at home where security was more lax. With that, the raven-haired SOLDIER took the lead toward the front door of the lobby.

Outside felt surreal. Even with the smog that smeared the sky, the desert sun was bright and warm. Cloud blinked, eyes straining for the first few minutes. Even though he had been on the balcony that morning, the noon sun was entirely different from the way its hot light hit the world. A dry wind weaved through the buildings and down the streets, tugging at the blonde’s hair. There were a lot of people moving up and down the street just outside of the large apartment complex, filling his ears with the sound of feet and a flurry of indistinguishable voices. Cloud had scarcely met Midgar, going straight to the military complex to begin his service only to later move on to Omega Square. And his escape the night before had been to a city asleep. 

“Hey, you okay?” Zack asked as he poked his head in front of the blonde’s. Cloud nodded as his eyes adjusted and he glanced at the vibrant street he stood on. 

“Just, feels like it’s been years since I’ve been outside,” the former cadet answered. A curious looked crossed Zack’s face, but the First shrugged it off as he adjusted his buster sword. 

“All righty then. The restaurant I’m thinking of is this way,” Zack said with a tilt of his head as he turned and started to walk, Cloud making sure to keep stride with him, which was a little difficult considering the First’s longer legs. The restaurant in question was small, nestled between two different types of shops, one a fashion boutique aimed at women and the other a collectibles shop that showcased of all things, ShinRa merchandise. The sight made the blonde feel almost physically unwell. It was primarily outside eating at the burger place, but as they weaved around the moving bodies to the entrance Cloud could see some inside tables. 

“Burgers sound good?” Zack asked, drawing the blonde’s eyes from the mounted TV’s on the walls inside and to his face. 

“Burgers?” Cloud asked before giving a nod. “Yeah. I haven’t had a burger in a long time,” he answered. The last time he’d had one was back home, ground Nibel Wolf meat of course. “What meat is used?” the blonde asked as they stepped in through the doorway and the SOLDIER quirked a brow at the young man while they stopped at the back of a short line.

“Uh… beef?” Zack’s apparent confusion tickled the blonde’s heart a little and a small smile curved his lips. 

“Sorry, I’m used to eating wolf for every meal,” Cloud explained and the expression on Zack’s face was a little comical.

“Wait? Really? No cows?”

“The wolves ate the cows,” Cloud informed and the SOLDIER stared a moment, processing the information. It was actually a little cute, endearing just how honest Zack seemed to be. 

“Damn,” the First said before the two made it to the counter. Cloud’s eyes lifted to the glowing menu above, eyes roaming over all the limited menu. It seemed like the restaurant was burgers only. 

“I’ll have the quadruple bacon burger,” Zack declared, a wolfish grin spreading his lips. The man at the register nodded as he took down the order while the First looked to the blonde, who then looked at the man taking their order. 

“A cheeseburger for me,” Cloud said and after the two ordered a couple drinks, Zack paid in Gil, making sure to give exact change, before the two walked away from the counter to make room for someone else. 

“Inside or out?” Zack asked and the blonde looked around, already knowing he wanted inside, and finding an empty square table in a corner by a large window, he took the lead. Zack followed behind silently until Cloud pulled out a chair and sat down. 

“Nice spot, kinda private,” Zack said as he took his sword off his back and leaned it against the wall, right near his hand. 

“I prefer my space. And it had a good place for you to rest your sword,” Cloud said and the SOLDIER grinned. 

“I see. Thinking ahead. Good quality,” Zack said. Cloud leaned on the table, not responding in any particular way. Zack did the same, his grin growing wider, which seemed to add some sort of sparkle to his mako eyes. Cloud looked up at the SOLDIER, knowing that he was going to ask about the topic he had mentioned before they left the apartment, and it made the blonde’s stomach heavy with dread. 

“So, how did you and Seph meet? I uh… noticed that bandage there,” Zack said with a motion to Cloud’s neck. The blonde averted his eyes as he crossed his ankles under the table. Should he actually tell him? Was Zack someone to trust? Though he was friendly and appeared the easy-going type, that didn’t mean he could be trusted. What if he told Zack and Sephiroth found out and got angry? Clearly, the First wasn’t dumb, to reference Cloud’ neck right off the bat. He was suspicious of a bite, there was no reason to bring up the two subjects together otherwise. Suddenly the bite throbbed with more defined pain and the blonde placed his hand over it, his brow tense. 

“Just so you know, I won’t tell anyone. Hell, I won’t even tell Seph I know if you don’t want me to. And of course, you can tell me off. I’m just… man, I’m so curious!” Zack blurted, drawing the blonde’s blue eyes back to his face as the First released an animated moan and leaned down low on the table, taking up a lot of its small space. “I don’t know what’s going on, but this is such huge news! Seph is like a brick sometimes, speaks only what’s necessary, all business, nothing personal. And then all of a sudden, you exist. I can’t stand it!” 

Cloud eyed the SOLDIER, suddenly struck by the notion that the descriptor of puppy dog was rather accurate. Well, it wasn’t like it was that much of a secret. ShinRa knew that Cloud had been bonded to Sephiroth, the man himself said he was filing the paperwork about it. But would the General be happy about Cloud blabbing about it? What if Zack annoyed him with it? Somehow, it seemed entirely plausible. But at the same time, being able to talk about it and vent, get another perspective, an uninvolved alpha could be helpful in some way. Cloud took a breath and released it as he faced the raven-haired man across from him. 

“Okay. But you have to be discreet about it. Tell no one,” the blonde declared. Zack perked up and nodded perhaps a little too enthusiastically. 

“Yeah, got it.” Zack agreed and the blonde paused. Where to start? Perhaps chronologically? No, he’d start with what led him to meet Sephiroth, and then clarify, so that Zack could hear the part he was actually asking about first. And so, Cloud explained his story, though he intentionally omitted ShinRa’s blatant misdirection and lies, just in case Zack was loyal to the company in such a way as to resent the blonde or report him for potential defamation. 

Zack’s enthused expression dropped after Cloud began to relate to him the contents of the story. Clearly, the First had thought something more of a funny tabloid scandal to be the story, maybe something he could tease the General over. But by the time Cloud finished his tale the raven-haired SOLDIER’s face was stone serious. Before anything more could be said, a waiter walked up to the two and delivered their food. Zack stared at his plate a moment as tense silence settled around their little corner. 

“That’s… that’s really messed up. I’m so sorry, man. I didn’t even think it could be something so upsetting. I seriously thought maybe Seph fell prey to a fanboy’s heat and marked you or something.” Cloud felt his cheeks heat a little as his heart skipped a beat. Well, he actually was a bit of a fanboy. If the circumstances had been different, Cloud’s reaction to meeting Sephiroth would have been entirely different. “I can’t believe that you weren’t properly informed about Omega Square or allowed to take your time reading. I mean, that lady should be fired, cuz that’s a serious offense. I'm sure Seph has already written a report about it, that guy can be a real stickler for the rules, so you can take some comfort in that” Zack added. Cloud gave a solitary nod, all the while wondering if Zack actually knew what really went on at Omega Square. After another brief pause, the First released a sigh and placed his hands on the table. 

“Well, let’s eat. After the hell you’ve been through, a delicious cheeseburger and fries are what you deserve!” Zack declared, giving a beaming smile that Cloud couldn’t help being affected by, and thus gave a small, awkward smile of his own as he grabbed his burger from his plate and lifted it to his mouth. It smelled delicious, and the flavor was mind-blowing, delighting every nerve in his mouth and brain as he chewed, suddenly a lot happier. 

“All right! Being in Sector 8, we have tons of choices when it comes to pretty much anything we need. So, I guess the thing to do is take a look around and see what suits your style!” Zack said as he led Cloud back onto the street after they finished their meal. The blonde followed behind, somewhat in dread of the actual shopping trip. The First turned to face  
him with his hands on his hips. 

“Well, you got a style you like?” Zack asked and Cloud rubbed his right hand down the side of  
his left arm while looking across the various stylized, colorful logos. 

“Not exactly. Usually just t-shirts and jeans. Though I guess I prefer dark colors,” the blonde answered somewhat hesitantly. 

“Okaaay! Got it!” Zack said as he strolled the few steps that separated the two and wrapped an arm around Cloud’s shoulders, giving the blonde a warm smile. 

“I got a place in mind then,” the SOLDIER said as he toted the blonde after him, though only a couple steps were progressed before Cloud managed to slip his head free with a pout. With a shrug, Zack decided to lead the way with the blonde behind him. So many smells permeated the air, from various ethnic cuisines to staples such as pizza places that pumped the smell of their food out their doors to lure in customers. Weaving through the bodies of people, Cloud came to a stop next to Zack who looked at the blonde with a wink before stepping up and through an open doorway. 

Midgar Skate Shop was the sign posted above.

It was a simple title. Among the skateboards and shoes on display were mannequins displaying a couple of choice t-shirts, probably hot sellers, and jeans. It was certainly closer to a look he liked, though Cloud had not once ever stepped into a skate shop before; they didn’t have any back in Nibelheim. The blonde finally followed after the First, finding the air conditioning in the shop refreshing as he walked into the lowly lit establishment. They were greeted by a young man at the counter who asked them if they were looking for anything in particular before Cloud cut Zack’s response off by declining any help. After that the former cadet took the lead, browsing the shelves of jeans and wracks of t-shirts, long sleeves, and sleeveless tops. 

Most of the clothes were centered around the concept of mobility, which made sense given the point of the shop, and the blonde began to find quite a lot of the options appealing as he started to awkwardly allow himself to show interest. Zack was not far behind him, like a nosy puppy following him around. Eventually, the First seemed to get a feel for what Cloud was interested in and started to make suggestions of his own, slowly grabbing up things the blonde didn’t outright reject. Before Cloud knew it he had a massive pile of shirts and a handful of jeans, and two sets of shoes to try on. The cashier that greeted them, clearly excited by their indication of having a lot of money to spend started helping them when there was no one else in the store, and so Cloud eventually found himself in a fitting room, sorting through the pile of clothes. 

Cloud found himself liking a slim fitting black sleeveless top, the shoulders and bottom hem of the shirt sporting studs. A charcoal gray t-shirt similar to what he wore, but more form-fitting and his size with a sword in the upper right corner instead of a Chocobo. A couple plain black shirts were added, just for something to wear when working out or doing work, provided he could find some way of actually doing that. Cloud did find a white tank-top that fit to his body, a decal of a wolf’s head snarling on the front of it. He chose two pairs of jeans, one dark gray skinny pair that hugged his body in typical skinny jean fashion and a baggy pair of black pants. 

For shoes Cloud ended up choosing the black vans that fit, not liking the way the high tops of the others felt against his lower leg. As he tried on clothes the blonde started to realize there were a few things he definitely wanted, though he wondered if he should try asking while on someone else’s dime. A pair of black work boots would be nice, he could work out and do hard labor in them, something he had been used to back in Nibelheim. In fact, he had come to Midgar with a good pair of work boots, but they were lost to him now, as the blonde was reasonably sure his stuff never made it home. Other than that, something practical like a sweater and a jacket, since he hadn’t been so crazy about the styles offered at the store. Cloud didn’t bother trying on the socks that came in with him, but he still also needed underwear. When Cloud emerged from the stall, he handed over the large swath he didn’t want and held onto what he wanted. Zack quirked a brow at the blonde. 

“That’s all?” he asked. Cloud nodded before his eyes caught a wrack of belts. 

“Maybe a belt,” the blonde said, and the First followed his line of sight to the belts. 

“I’ll need underwear. Also a jacket. A sweater could be nice too. And, you know, a toothbrush and stuff like that,” Cloud explained, and Zack gave a nod as he walked over to the belts. 

“Well, Cloudy, take your pick!” he said and the blonde walked over, eyes scanning the belts until he found a plain black web belt. When he did so, Cloud met the First’s gaze, and the man gave him a grin. 

“Well, if you’re sure! Let’s move on to the next place!” After Zack paid with a ShinRa card of some kind, no doubt one that belonged to Sephiroth, their purchases were bagged and they left the store. Carrying his bag, Cloud followed after Zack, though with the ice broken over spending the General’s money, the blonde’s eyes roamed the stores more openly, pausing when he thought he saw something maybe interesting. One store in particular caught Cloud’s eye and he stopped to stare at the displays behind the glass. After a second Zack’s voice caught the blonde’s ear from where he had returned to his side. 

“You wanna go in?” Zack asked. Cloud gave a nod and walked through the open door after tying the top of his bag closed. The clothes were decidedly goth or punk. It was the jacket that had been on display that the blonde had liked. Walking around until he spotted it hanging in a wrack, Cloud picked it up and lifted it to his eyes. A long thick coat, simple in design with a knitted design. Various buckles lined the upper length of the coat, clearly designed to fall open past the waist. 

“You like that huh?” Zack asked and slowly Cloud gave a nod before finding the tag with his other hand and looking. The price that glared back at him made the blonde’s heart jump a little before he put it back on the wrack. 

“Hey, what happened? Change your mind?” Zack asked as he grabbed the coat and looked at the price. Cloud felt heat in his face as he stammered. 

“It’s fine. I don’t need a 10,000 gil jacket,” he stuttered. Zack released a short whistle as he lifted the coat up and turned it around in the air. 

“It’s heavy. Seems it’d be pretty warm. I’d say it’s pretty worth its cost. And I mean, you didn’t wrack up much of a price tag at the last place. I asked Seph what price range he was expecting and you haven’t even got a quarter of it,” Zack explained before looking down at Cloud. “Why not let this be your one fancy thing?” The blonde chewed on the inside of his cheek, unsure if he should charge so much for a single item. Before Cloud could give an answer Zack pressed the jacket over the blonde’s front, snapping the blonde’s eyes to his face as he sized up the jacket, switched it for a larger one, and walked away, straight toward the cashier. Cloud watched, a little torn in his budding excitement and whether he should feel happy or not as he walked over to the counter and watched the First pay for it. When he was done, Zack flashed Cloud a mischievous, toothy grin.

“Jacket, check. Now you said a sweater, underwear, and toiletries, right? A department store will probably have all of that. And I know where the ShinRa store of Departments is. So, we’ll catch a cab and head over, ‘kay?” Zack said as the two exited the store, Cloud holding onto his bagged coat with more glee than he maybe should have, which he tried his best to quell and not show. 

After catching a cab, the two wandered the massive store which was more of a mall than a store, and Cloud found himself stocking up on everything he needed, including a couple extra t-shirts and a pair of cut off gloves. By the end of the trip, Zack decided to help soothe any nervousness he thought the blonde could have had over the expense of the trip by telling him that the total cost of their trip was hundreds less than what Sephiroth had expected, and complimented the blonde on being so money wise with his choices, a quality not everyone possessed. 

After that Cloud was dropped off back at the apartment, and as they neared the door the blonde noticed the First’s energy drop a little, his feet moving just a little slower. 

“Well, I guess it’s back to paperwork for me~” Zack lilted somewhat off-key, a sigh following his statement as he opened the front door and the two walked in. 

“You don’t want to go back, do you?” Cloud asked and the First laughed. 

“That obvious, huh? And here I thought I sounded cheery enough,” Zack said with a small laugh as they put their collection of bags on the still unmade bed, which Cloud made a mental note to fix. 

“Paperwork is so boring! Being a First isn’t all it's cracked up to be. Or Lieutenant General, especially with Seph as your superior. Guy has no mercy,” Zack complained as he stalled in the middle of the room, his eyes roaming around. 

“You sure you’ll be okay? This place looks hella boring, Seph doesn’t even have a TV!” Zack said, to which the blonde couldn’t help agreeing. It was super boring. It made Cloud wonder is he could leave or not. But then again, even if he did leave, what was there to do? He had no job, no money, no place to be, nothing to do but wander. While exploring sector 8 could be interesting, the idea of running into ShinRa men made him somewhat nervous, a reason he realized probably factored into why he hadn’t tried to leave after Sephiroth left. He rationalized it all came back to Sephiroth and being bonded together, and without a doubt, it definitely factored in. But what if that guy, Hojo tried to take him? If he was responsible for Cloud being put into Omega Square through lies and manipulation like Sephiroth suggested, would he be content to just sit give up? Of course, being bonded may protect the blonde, but what if in the end, it didn’t matter? 

“Cloud?” Zack’s voice brought the blonde’s focus back to the present. 

“Sorry, what?” Cloud asked, his voice somewhat distracted. Zack quirked a brow at the blonde, his expression concerned. 

“You seemed tense there, bud. Something stressing you out?” the First asked, genuine worry in his voice. It softened the blonde’s heart some to hear it. Zack really was a nice guy, and he was getting used to his loud energy. 

“Just… all this omega stuff. My life is suddenly totally different. If I could I’d do something, but what can I do? I can’t have a job because of my heat. And I… I guess I’m feeling like I have to stay in here,” Cloud explained, careful what information he let slip. Even if Zack seemed like someone he could trust, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t think Cloud a conspiracy theorist if he told him a mad scientist might be after him, even if Sephiroth was the one that planted the idea in his head. Sympathy shaped the contours of Zack’s face. 

“Did Seph tell you that you had to stay in?” he asked. 

“No,” Cloud answered. “Sephiroth hasn’t told me to not do, or do anything. Even when I thought about running away, he just told me that I would inevitably find myself searching him out, and him vice versa. So it feels like… I guess like it’s useless. Like I’m trapped here,” Cloud explained, averting his eyes. He never really liked discussing his feelings much, but in the current moment, the blonde couldn’t help the need to express something to someone. Sephiroth seemed about as expressive as Cloud was accused of being, so talking to him when they were still so new to each other wasn’t exactly easy, like walking on glass. On the opposite end, with Zack, it felt too easy, almost good to do so. Zack gave a mournful nod. 

“I got it. I’m sorry, bud. If you’d like, I can come by on lunch breaks. We can eat and chat for a bit, it’d give you something to do other than just wait around. You could try going out, but it can be dangerous wandering the city. Being bonded won’t save you was errant alphas that will try and take a piece of you just because. And of course, since you’re bonded your body would go through hell worse than it would have otherwise,” Zack heaved a morose sigh. “You are pretty big but your scent gives you away totally. Maybe you could fend some jackass off. But, I mean, it’s a risk-”

“Wait, what do you mean by that?” Cloud asked, cutting Zack off when a particular part of the SOLDIER’s statement sunk in after a delayed second. 

“Which part?” the First asked.

“The part about going through hell worse because I’m bonded?” Cloud asked, paraphrasing. 

“Oh. You don’t know that?” Zack asked and the blonde winced a little. 

“No,” was his simple answer. Surprised, the First crossed his arms over his stomach as he spoke. 

“Bonded pairs crave each other, right?” Zack asked and Cloud nodded. “They’re drawn together, but once bonded they reject anyone else. Say you tried to have sex with me, once we started doing stuff your body would recognize that my pheromones are not that of your alpha. Your body would reject me, you’d get ill. I’ve heard a wide range of different symptoms, some omega’s mention getting really nauseous, some have said they just immediately vomit, others have said they felt physical pain, like body aches and migraines, some even said that he felt burned by a foreign alpha’s touch. And from what I’ve heard about alphas, they’ve been unable to react at all, like their dicks just don’t work. Also including things like headaches and nausea. So pretty much both sides of a bond are unable to be with anyone else. And I’ve heard of alphas and omegas aching for their bonds, physically feeling a loss of a part of themselves when they’re apart too long. Which is why in the military they totally discourage bonding. Any alphas that get bonded tend to end up relegated to desk duty,” Zack explained and Cloud perked up at the new information. Focusing on the First’s final statement. 

“Desk duty? Is that going to happen to Sephiroth?” the blonde asked quickly, perhaps with more energy he had expressed all day. Zack’s eyes widened a moment, caught off guard before pondering on the statement. 

“Wow, yeah, hadn’t thought too much about that yet. But, yeah, probably. I mean, if we got shipped off his performance would totally take a hit depending on how long we were gone. And I’ve heard that physical distance actually does play a role in how bad and quickly it hits. So yeah, Seph might actually have to stay off the battlefield. Damn. That’s an end to an era there,” Zack muttered, clearly blown by the idea. Horror twisted up into a tight ball and sunk to the pit of Cloud’s stomach. Sephiroth? No longer on the battlefield? ShinRa’s most famous and lavishly decorated officer, done? And Cloud had something to do with it. If they hadn’t met, Sephiroth would not be tied down. And the General knew this. He knew all about it, there was no way he didn’t. Just what were the man’s thoughts on Cloud? What were his feelings toward him? Did he resent him? Even if his body desired the blonde, that did not mean his heart was in the same position. Cloud took a step back and sat on the corner end of the bed. 

“You okay, buddy? You don’t look so good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jacket: I wanted something similar, but simplified to what we see Cloud wear in AC. lol


	6. Becoming a Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Sephiroth formally forge their relationship as a couple in the most traditional way possible-consummation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Firstly, thank you for all the comments and kudos! Thank you so much! Sephiroth and Cloud simply can't refuse their affect on each other.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

It took some effort to get Zack to leave after Cloud’s moment of panic. No amount of assurances actually made the First stop the fuss as the blonde basically pushed him out the door and locked it with the chain to make sure the man didn’t just open up the door again. It was quiet on the other side then, but Cloud knew that the SOLDIER was still there.

“If you’re worried about Seph being upset, I wouldn’t. And if you’re worried he’s mad at you, I wouldn’t. I don’t think he’d blame you. If he was gonna blame someone, he’d blame himself, or the morons that locked you up in Omega Square unfairly. He’s just not the kind of guy to take it out on someone else, you know? You were in heat and he lost control. He knows you did nothing wrong.” When Cloud did not respond, Zack heaved a sigh. “Well, I’ma head back to work. I’ll see you at lunch tomorrow. Try to relax, okay, bud?” 

With that, the blonde finally heard the First’s boots pad across the carpet down the hall. Cloud lingered for a moment longer, heaviness filling his limbs before he locked up the door and undid the chain. Walking a few paces away he stared at the bed and all the bags. What did Sephiroth think of him? An unwanted nuisance? A parasite? Cloud hadn’t even really thought about it from a perspective outside his own. Sephiroth was stuck just as much as he was, and his life was being forcefully changed too. If what Zack said was true, and the blonde trusted it was, then Sephiroth would have no choice but to retire from the battlefield. The very idea was stomach twisting. It was Sephiroth, The Sephiroth, a man of incredible prowess and strategy, a war hero. What did ShinRa, the military think of it all? Anxiety twisted up in the blonde’s heart, sending throbs of pain through his chest as he walked back toward the door and sat on the floor in a corner. Suddenly he wanted to be anywhere but inside. He wanted to run away. To get away from all of his problems, to avoid facing the music, even if it proved to be a fruitless endeavor. But, he couldn’t, he couldn't be such a coward. He had to face it, to own up to it, no matter how much it might hurt. Cloud pulled his knees to his chest, crossed his arms on them, and put his head down. Everything was so fucked up. 

In the end, Cloud had been unable to motivate himself to get up. Instead, he opted to lie down on the floor in his spot by the door. He didn’t want to do anything, he just wanted to pretend he didn’t exist in this apartment, just like it’s original owner. 

~~~~

“So, how you sleep, fresh meat?” Cloud looked up from his breakfast, which had been wheeled into his room on a small table and pushed to his cot after he’d been given an ultimatum over vitamins of all things. The room was a small square with only a bed, a bedside table, a lot of wall-mounted medical equipment, and restraints, he discovered the night before, built into the frame. The guy that stood at the entrance to his room was the same one that had greeted him when he’d first walked in. He was small and thin with shaggy brown hair. His face was strikingly feminine with flush pink lips and big brown eyes. His eyes held steady on Cloud’s face as the blonde looked back down at his food, not wanting to associate. 

“What’s wrong? We’ll be spending a lot of time together from now on, so we should be friends. Hey, maybe even our kids will be friends. Not that we’d ever know of course,” the young man said as he walked in and sat on the edge of Cloud’s bed, his hand resting on the foot rail. Cloud’s expression was twisted in discomfort, he had never experienced upset stomach from stress, but the blonde was wondering if that was his problem, because rather than hungry or even content, he felt nauseous. And this guy was only making it worse. Or maybe it was the vitamins.

“I’m only here until I go home,” Cloud finally answered and the brunette laughed. 

“Right. Well, whenever you decide to realize you’ve already been fucked in the ass by ShinRa, come find me and we can talk. Until then, enjoy your powdered eggs.” With that the unwelcome guest stood up and left the room, leaving the blonde alone. 

Cloud spent his days pacing his room, only venturing out into the recreation room when he got tired of the four bare white walls in his room. It was always quiet, depressing with so many omegas silently milling about. The blonde noticed he was bigger than all of them too. Taller, though not necessarily by a lot, and larger in frame, mostly from his successful run thorough basic training. He also discovered a few other things pretty early on. One, the door to the office was locked, when he had tugged on the handle the same obnoxious brunette from before had giggled with intentional volume, or so Cloud suspected. There were cameras covering every point in the recreation room. His temperature was checked by a nurse every morning, and he was warned that he would be put in solitary if he refused. He was also given the same two large vitamins that he also had no choice but to take. The blonde thought about trying to find some way of tricking the nurse, but the man wouldn’t leave until Cloud had finished the vitamins, of which had to be taken before he could receive breakfast. He started to wonder what this place, Omega Square, really was. He was rare right? So what were all these omegas doing in ShinRa like this? It seemed odd, if his circumstances were so rare. It was almost like the men in there with him had been picked up off the street. 

After about a week, the blonde found his name called. Excitement urged him to hurry up to the office door, and happily found it unlocked. Inside Cloud was greeted by a man with short dark hair in a white lab coat. 

“Cloud Strife?” the man asked, though judging by the clear display of Cloud’s military photo, he knew exactly who he was talking to. The blonde nodded all the same before the man motioned him to follow. Cloud followed the man out through the code locked door he had entered in a week before and further down the hall. He was led into another room that opened up into a small elevator courtyard. They took one up to the fourth floor and the blonde was taken through an office, down a hall of various numbered doors before he as turned into an open one. Inside was a large chair fixed with stirrups. Anxiety rocketed through the blonde as his heart sped through his chest so fast he was nearly dizzy while he watched the doctor sit down at a computer in the room.

“S-sir?” Cloud asked, hearing a soft ring begin in his ears. 

“Change into the gown, underwear off, and get in the chair and put your feet in the stirrups,” the doctor ordered. Cloud stared at the chair, his face pale as he took a hesitant step toward it. “Hurry up now, or else I’ll have an orderly help you,” the man stated, his voice flat. A small shudder worked through the blonde as he picked up the white gown on the chair and looked behind the tall back as a potential place to change.

“What’s this for?” Cloud asked. 

“Since you’ve never been through an omega exam, you’re about to have one,” the man answered. 

“So, this is normal?” the blonde asked and the man looked up from his screen. 

“Oh, yes. You’re a late bloomer. We need to do a basic health check, this time examining you as an omega instead of a beta,” the doctor said. Feeling somewhat reassured and mildly calmer, Cloud nervously changed and hesitantly climbed into the chair, finding the back tilted further back by the doctor as his feet were adjusted on the stirrups. Another man dressed in scrubs came in then and wrapped the built-in straps around Cloud’s feet and ankles. The blonde tensed. 

“Why are you doing that?” he asked. 

“In addition to your health check, we will also be doing a fertility test and an in-depth examination of your womb. We’re also going to look into extracting one of your eggs. Because of how sensitive omegas are to many drugs you will not be able to be given any muscle relaxers or pain killers,” the doctor explained and Cloud’s eyes flashed to his face. What? 

“Is this normal?” he asked. The doctor paused a moment. 

“Well… not usually. But since you are from Omega Square, it is a procedure to secure eggs from omegas not in heat every 3 months. For research purposes,” the doctor explained and adrenaline surged through the blonde as both fear and anger flared through his chest. 

“I’m not part of any research!” Cloud shouted, his arms lifting to grab at his bound feet. An alarm suddenly blared through the air and three more men, much larger, rushed into the room. A desperate cry cracked from Cloud’s mouth as he sat up and struggled, he managed to slug one man in the jaw, but as soon as he staggered back, more hands snapped forward and grabbed the blonde’s wrists. Cloud attempted to yank his feet free to kick, but his legs were still stuck in the stirrups as he was pinned to the chair. Leather belts were tied around the blonde’s wrists before they were secured over the back of the chair. Then his body was pinned and strapped into place. 

“You can’t just take from me!” he yelled. Cloud’s head was forced to the side and though he didn’t see it, he felt the sharp prick of a needle before pain burned down his throat. Suddenly all the bodies pressing down on him were gone, and Cloud panted as he jerked his face to look around between his arms. They all stood back as he twisted and pulled, trying to get free, but his vision was starting to double and blur. He was going out, he was going to pass out. Anxiety surged through every muscle fiber in his being as water started to soak his eyelashes. His body was starting to tingle and go numb. He was losing it, he wasn’t going to be able to fight, he wasn’t even going to know what they were doing. And after a few seconds of hard pants and whimpering moans, Cloud sagged onto the chair. 

~~~~

The door unlocking jerked the blonde awake, his breath heavy and body sweaty as he watched the door swing open, obscuring him from the person entering. From the scent that filled the air Cloud knew it was Sephiroth, and the man stopped at the threshold for a long moment, presumably looking around, before closing the door and walking into the center of the room. Mako green eyes scanned the room until his gaze reached the front door and fell on the blonde. The blonde sat up when the silverette turned to fully face him and stared, not a sound coming from him. Cloud stared up at the General, also silent. 

“What are you doing?” Sephiroth's deep voice asked at last, sounding loud within the silence of the darkening apartment. 

“I uh… I don’t know,” Cloud answered. The General stared for a moment longer before he turned and looked at the bags on the bed. 

“Looks like you did a decent amount of shopping,” the silverette said as he walked to the bedside table and turned on the lamp to fight off the dark of the oncoming night. “Zack told me you were upset about me being put on desk duty,” Sephiroth suddenly said and Cloud tensed, his heart giving a painful twist in his chest that made him wince. The blonde said nothing. 

“I’m not mad at you,” the silverette informed. Cloud looked away, not feeling particularly convinced. 

“So, it’s true then,” the blonde muttered. 

“Yes,” Sephiroth answered. “It was an unfortunate event. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up pulled in. You were doing what you felt was best for your own survival. You were in heat, something you had no control over. If there is any reason for me to be mad at someone, it’d be ShinRa,” the General explained. Cloud looked at the silverette, remembering something the man had said the night before when he had caught him. 

“You were mad that I wasn’t on suppressants,” the blonde pointed out. Sephiroth nodded. 

“At the time. I wasn’t thinking. Omegas in Omega Square are never put on suppressants, it would inhibit their research,” Sephiroth explained. 

“But I was. They were injecting me with drugs and making me take pills,” Cloud said and the General shook his head as he pushed the bags out of the way and sat on the edge of the unmade bed. 

“No. You were being given a cocktail meant to reduce how your heat made you feel. Not suppressants. Suppressants are not what you think. They were actually designed initially for the benefit of alphas. Suppressants are meant to significantly reduce or remove the alluring scent of an omegas heat. Coincidentally, omegas experience a lessening of their symptoms, and for many, it works as a form of birth control since they are able to avoid pregnancy on it. On suppressants you would still go into heat, still be desiring to have sex, which is why the advent of the drug did not allow for omegas to join the workforce or military,” Sephiroth explained as his hands fell to his lap, eyes locked on Cloud. 

“Last night and this morning I was not thinking clearly. Your heat scent was particularly strong, perhaps because you are a late bloomer. If you felt abused by my actions and words, which I wouldn’t blame you if you did, know that I did not mean to intentionally hurt you in any way last night,” the silverette added. Cloud stared at the floor between his feet, letting the words sink in. 

“You’re really on desk duty, aren’t you?” the blonde asked. The general nodded. 

“Yes. There was no choice.” Cloud pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth. “I don’t mind though,” Sephiroth said and the blonde looked up at him. 

“It gives me the ability to experience new things. I’ve never been… domestic. I don’t know if I’ll ultimately adjust, but be it either through our bond or not, I feel a strong compulsion to take care of you. It’s… a new feeling for me. Wanting to take care of someone.” After a moment of silence between the two, Cloud stood up. He walked up the silverette and stopped just a foot or so away, Sephiroth could grab him if he wanted to. The man was beautiful, too beautiful. His snow white skin, those gorgeous cat-like eyes, he had really long eyelashes too. His hair looked really soft the way it smoothly spilled down his front and around the bed at his back. His shoulders were so broad, and his exposed chest beneath his open duster was built of powerful muscle. Cloud had wanted to be exactly like this man, a war hero, a powerful and commanding presence. He’d worked so hard through basic training, going above and beyond what was asked of him, sacrificed private and leisure time to train his body. Though the General had turned out to be more demure than he had expected. Sephiroth stared at the blonde, his expression calm, almost stoic, but expectant. 

“I’m sorry that everything’s so messed up,” Cloud said. Sephiroth blinked, those long lashes fanning the air. 

“It’s not your fault. For better or worse, we are a pair now. I think it best we try to be on good terms,” the silverette declared and the blonde nodded. “So let’s not blame ourselves anymore. If you have any concerns or questions, just ask me. And any disputes, we should simply voice them.” the General said, his tone sounding exactly like the sort of man the blonde would expect to be General. Cloud nodded again. 

“Yeah.” Sephiroth nodded then. After that, the silverette slid his hand into the pocket of his pants and retrieved his cell phone. 

“What should we have for dinner?” he asked and the blonde thought a moment, remembering the burger place. 

“Have you had anything from Burger Heaven? They’re just down the street. They’re good,” he informed and the silverette quirked a delicate brow. 

“What’s on the menu?” the General asked and Cloud paused, only really remembering what he and Zack had ordered. 

“Uh, I mostly remember what Zack and I ate,” the blonde said somewhat sheepishly. A small curve lifted the corners of Sephiroth’s lips. 

“What did you order then?” he asked. 

“Just a cheeseburger,” Cloud answered. The General gave a nod then and started looking for the place on his phone. Once he found the number he didn’t bother with looking at the menu and placed an order of 2 cheeseburgers for delivery.

Dinner was mostly quiet. But toward the end, Sephiroth asked Cloud about what he bought. So when they finished the blonde awkwardly showed the SOLDIER the clothes he’d bought, and to his surprise Sephiroth seemed to approve of his jacket, agreeing with Zack’s sentiment that if the blonde were to buy one really expensive item, it had been a good choice. Covertly giddy, Cloud put his clothes away after Sephiroth showed him to the trunk built under the end of the bed and the two organized their folded clothes to accommodate one another. Knelt next to the General was almost intoxicating in how wonderful it felt. If Sephiroth really didn’t hate him or resent his change in life, then maybe something good could happen. At least the blonde wouldn’t have to wake up in Omega Square anymore, dreading each moment and sleeping with fear.

After taking turns in the shower, which Cloud insisted Sephiroth go first, the two prepared for bed. By the time Cloud was done washing away the day’s grime and the sweat from his workout, the General had taken the alarm clock off the bedside table on the side the blonde had woken up on and put on the table on the other side of the bed by the balcony sliding glass door. He was already lying down on his side with the lamp on the blonde’s apparent side off, clearly intent on sleep. Wanting to not be a bother, Cloud hurried into bed, careful of how much he shook it, laid down, and pulled his side of the blanket up to his chin. Sephiroth’s scent already saturated the linens, but it was even stronger with the man actually in it, and it made the blonde’s heart race while he tried to will himself to relax. 

“Goodnight, Cloud,” Sephiroth said. Cloud’s heart hiccuped in his chest and a flush came to his cheeks.

“Goodnight,” he said back. 

Sephiroth woke sometime later, his clock reading 2 in the morning. The General was immediately set upon by two sensations, one was the potent smell of the blonde smothering his senses. The other was the warm body pressed against his backside and the deep even breaths that caressed his bare upper back where the blonde lay still. One leg was thrown over his at the knee, and from the way the pressure at his back and tickling breath felt, the silverette was quite certain that the blonde’s head was pressed in the seam created by his shoulder and the bed. The heat in his already swelling cock intensified and the General released a sigh as he slid his hand down his thigh to grab at Cloud’s knee and remove his leg from over his own. It was just a male musk, not potent thanks to the shower the blonde had taken before bed, but it was appealing in the way it invaded his senses, snaking through his body and heating his blood. Careful, Sephiroth sat up and got out of the bed, padding his way through the dark of the room toward the bathroom. Whenever the blonde was around he couldn’t help the electricity that seemed to stimulate his nerves, roving over his flesh like sensual fingers. 

Cloud woke when the bathroom door closed. A pleasurable hum filled his body and stroked over his flesh, drawing him from some hazy dream. It was Sephiroth’s scent and the heat the man had left behind. The blonde was half hard and not fully awake. But the blonde was alert enough to realize that he had somehow moved over toward the General’s side of the bed and moved back to his side. Upon settling on his stomach a soft groan passed his lips when the soft pressure of the mattress touched his swollen dick trapped in his boxers. Heat warmed the blonde’s cheeks. He couldn’t use the bathroom, but the longer he stayed there warmed by Sephiroth’s smell, the more he started to feel a pulsing need to do something.

Eyes locked on the door, Cloud pulled his forearm in front of him and bashfully slid his right hand between himself and the mattress as he twisted his hips just enough. His fingers slid under his sleep pants and boxers. The graze of his cool fingers over his wet headed cock drew a shiver from the blonde before he slid his palm around his dick and gave a squeeze. Pleasure blared loudly through him, making his prick leak and his ass wet. Shit. He’d have to get used to that. Cloud started to quickly slide his fist up and down the length of his dick, eyes constantly jerking to the door. Could he even finish? It might better to not even try. But it was too late. A soft groan passed Cloud’s lips as his face pushed into his pillow, still saturated in the General’s scent, which sent a powerful brain numbing surge of pleasure through his body and in turn made his cock throb worse as the wetness from his backside started to leak down to his swollen balls and trickle down his cock in its thick, watery slick. 

Cloud’s jaw tensed, breath puffing through his nose; it felt so good, every time his fist slid up and down, but at the same time there was a building ache in his ass, and the memory of what it felt like to be made full of Sephiroth’s cock surfaced in his mind. It was a big cock too. The raunchy thought shot a powerful thrill of pleasure through the blonde and he shuddered on the mattress, suddenly hotter and more wet than before. The toilet flushed and Cloud gasped, freezing when the sink turned on. Panic shot the blonde’s heart as he jerked his sticky wet hand from out of his boxers and yanked the covers over his head when the bathroom door opened. There was a pause after the door opened, as if the silverette had stopped.

“Cloud?” Sephiroth’s deep voice fell over the blonde and he flinched a little in guilt. He really shouldn’t have tried to masturbate like that. There was another pause before suddenly there was pulling on his side of the blanket. And though the blonde hesitated, he allowed the blanket to pull away enough to reveal his flushed, hot face. It was hard to see in the dark, but when next Sephiroth spoke, his voice was lower, more of a rumble as a stuttering breath accentuated his speech. 

“Are you aroused right now?” he asked and Cloud nearly felt his heart stop. The blonde wanted to hide his face away but knew doing so would just make it all the more obvious. Unable to make his lips part, and unsure his voice would work out of sheer shame, the blonde said nothing. A soft breath echoed between them from the General as weight depressed the edge of the mattress. 

“Do you want to have sex?” Sephiroth asked, his voice heavy and low. Cloud felt his cheeks heat some more as he finally allowed himself to sit up only to feel hands on his face. Surprised, the blonde looked up to see the vagueness of the General’s countenance. 

“Do you?” Cloud asked, his voice thick. Sephiroth’s breath ghosted across his face and the blonde’s mouth suddenly salivated, much to his chagrin as his cock gave desperate throbs for attention. 

“If you want to,” the silverette said. Cloud lifted his hands, his heart hammering hard in his chest as he placed them over the General’s. 

“Yeah.”

“Then get undressed,” Sephiroth said, his voice suddenly excited, perhaps impatient as he left the edge of the bed and turned the lamp on. Though nervous, Cloud couldn’t deny the push being horny gave him to stand up and quickly throw clothes to the floor. He could clearly remember how good it had felt, despite some initial discomfort, and he wanted it again. Sephiroth rounded the bed, kicking off the only nighttime clothing he apparently wore, which were a pair of black briefs, as he made his way to his bedside table and pulled open a drawer. Nervous, but figuring the bed would be the focal point, Cloud pulled the blanket on his side flat and lay on top in the middle of the bed. When the silverette turned to face the bed, his cat-like eyes suddenly looked a little wild, his long, thick cock swollen and heavy-headed from its own weight. 

Sephiroth crawled onto the bed, looking strikingly predatory as he hovered over the blonde’s side. Their eyes met, and immediately Cloud’s world was awash in silvery hair falling over him when the General leaned down and sealed their lips from his sideways position. A greedy tongue plunged into the blonde’s mouth, a tongue he did not shy from as he pushed and slid his own against the General’s demanding moves. A hum of pleasure echoed from Sephiroth’s throat as one hand moved from the mattress and fingers tangled into Cloud’s hair. A groan passed from the blonde as his hair was given a firm pull to urge his head to pull back, which he did as their tongues pushed, slid, and rubbed against one another. 

A gasp caught in the Cloud’s throat was his tongue was sucked into the General’s mouth and sucked on briefly before he pulled back only for the silverette to chase after him. A rumbling moan echoed into their mouths from Sephiroth, which only made Cloud’s cock throb and wet his belly worse while his ass no doubt wet between his cheeks and the backs of his thighs. The blonde was the first to pull his mouth away, gasping for breath. When he looked back over, shrouded in hair, their eyes met again and Cloud stared, caught in the fierce look of Sephiroth’s gaze. His pupils were wider than normal, though nothing like when the blonde had been in heat, and their color looked almost fluorescent. 

Sephiroth moved to Cloud’s legs and the blonde spread them to allow the silverette to settle on his knees in between. The blonde lay still, feeling acutely aware that the General’s eyes were raking over his body, over his hard cock resting against his abdomen before the silverette pushed something in his hand flat to the mattress and crawled up over the blonde. 

“It will be different this time,” Sephiroth said in heavy breaths, and Cloud swallowed. 

“Because I’m not in heat?” the blonde asked and a small smirk curved the silverette’s lips before he leaned down and gave Cloud’s enticingly pink lips a kiss and pulled away. 

“No. Because I won’t lose control. I was rough last time, that will not be repeated here tonight,” Sephiroth explained, a rolling wave of confidence filling his words. Not sure what reaction to give, Cloud found himself giving an unsure nod, and as if that were the word of silent consent, Sephiroth’s eyes left the blonde’s face and followed his large strong hands as they slid down the former cadet’s firm sides. Cloud stared, mesmerized by the tense musculature of the General’s slim body. It was a given, of course, but to see the man naked, exposing the intricate but not overly aggressive musculature of his body was enthralling. 

“Even though you’ve only just begun, your muscle definition really is impressive for an omega. It makes your slender body more attractive,” the silverette declared in a purring voice before his hands slid up and grabbed the sides of Cloud’s ribcage before his head dipped down, the soft tendrils of his long hair caressing the blonde’s skin. Pleasure spidered across Cloud’s skin as his cock gave into stronger throbs of want, making the blonde unsure if he wanted to prolong the encounter or hurry to release. The feeling of teeth and hot wetness on his right nipple drew a sharp, surprised gasp from the blonde, his hands flying up onto Sephiroth’s head when his nipple was given a teasing bite and then sucked. An odd sort of spark of pleasure shocked through the tiny nub, inducing a stronger pulse of pleasure than anything so plain and boring should have. 

The General continued to suck and teeth at the hardened piece of flesh, rubbing his tongue aggressively against it whenever he released it from his teeth. The little shocks of pleasure spread a hot fire through the former cadet’s body, drawing forth low, oozing moans while the silverette’s right hand slid down the blonde’s body and brazenly grabbed his leaking cock. Cloud grunted a moan, muscles tensing to definition in his abdomen when the General rubbed his thumb over the leaking head of his dick, smearing around pre-cum and rubbing hot waves of pleasure through the blonde’s prick. Fuck, Sephiroth was not at all bashful and seemed to know exactly what he was intending to do. He had taken total control while Cloud, so unfamiliar in the ways of sex just unraveled beneath the man, and the blonde was all too aware of it. 

Sephiroth abandoned the nipple he had abused and moved to the other, intent on making sure it joined its twin in bright red color and rigidity. Cloud bit down on his bottom lip, attempting to stifle the growing volume of pleasure that continued to escape from his throat as sweat misted his creamy flesh. Sephiroth’s hand began to pump, wrist working his fist and down his newfound lover’s cock. Cloud’s knees drew up around Sephiroth, twitching as the silverette finally stopped abusing his other nipple and slid his tongue down the blonde’s torso while still pumping the blonde’s dick. Pleasurable was the feeling of something warm and wet sliding down his skin, leaving in its wake a contrast of a cold wet trail as the silverette licked up the blonde’s building sweat in between the burgeoning valleys between sculpting muscle. 

“S-Seph-” Cloud swallowed a sudden bout of saliva, cutting off his voice as the General slid his free hand not pumping the beautiful cock in his grip to lift the blonde’s left leg over his powerfully built shoulder. It was growing, the desire and want to feel that hot, wet mouth wrapped around his dick, so much so it picked at the blonde’s nerves, teasing him with the thought. But Sephiroth took his time, biting the protruding hip bone on Cloud’s right side, drawing forth groans and shudders of pleasure. Despite their first coupling and the rather negative association with being bitten, the blonde enjoyed feeling the General’s teeth nipping at his flesh. Hard enough to bring forth that small jolt of surprise, but never enough to actually hurt. It made his cock throb and leak even more, slicking the fist that pumped it. He was getting close, Cloud swallowed passed a moan caught in his throat as the muscles in his legs started to tighten with the tightening of his balls. It was twisting so tight, getting too hot. Ah, so close!

“S-Sephiroth, I’m gonna-” Before Cloud could finish his panted warning, Sephiroth stopped stroking his cock. Before the blonde could even register disappointment hot, wet, heat slid down his cock, as the satiny feeling of flesh sucked down the entirety of his swollen dick. A cry of surprise and pleasure tore from Cloud’s throat as his chest arched up, followed by a jerk of his hips. Cloud’s head pushed into his pillow, exposing the full of his throat and straining his bite wound as the muscles in his body and neck tightened. The General sucked all the way to the base, licking and rubbing appreciatively the cock in his mouth with tongue, before drawing back with a hard, cheek hollowing suck that stole Cloud’s breath before it escaped with a low moan. The blonde’s hands grabbed at the blanket, fingers digging into the fabric as Sephiroth set into pace, making sure to give the leaking pinprick hole a hard rub with the tip of his tongue upon his return to the tip. 

Cloud gasped and moaned, the sounds tumbling out of him without control as he twitched and quivered, hips only stilled by the General’s hands as his lifted leg twitched and tightened on the silverette’s back. It didn’t take long, only a few tortuously efficient bobs of the silverette’s head up and down his cock; Cloud had already been so close, and with a cut-off gasp and a hard jerk on the bed orgasm ripped from the blonde, cum shooting into the expectant mouth swallowing him down. Every muscle tightened for a long second before going lax and Cloud sagged onto the bedspread as Sephiroth let his soft, wet cock slip from his lips. A pleasurable buzz filled Cloud’s ears as his hazy eyes refocused on the ceiling and other aspects of the apartment. He picked up the sound of a wrapper and looked down his body as his right leg slipped from off of the General’s shoulder. The blonde watched in utter fascination as the silverette rolled and pulled a condom over his heavy, dewy headed cock, the wrapper bit between his teeth before he turned his head to the side and spit it out. Cloud opened his mouth to speak, his voice a little rough. 

“Do you need to do that?” he asked. Sephiroth’s dilated eyes slid to the blonde’s face. 

“If you don’t want to get pregnant,” the silverette said. Cloud took in a breath, fighting to keep his eyes focused on the man’s sinfully beautiful face and not look down at the large thing jutting up in demand. 

“But, I’m not in heat. I thought-”

“Heat is when you are most receptive. You can get pregnant at any time. You could be pregnant now for all we know, though late bloomers tend to be dormant their first few heats so we may be safe,” Sephiroth explained, unabashedly allowing his hands to grab and pull at the blonde’s hips as he pulled him closer. Cloud slid down with the help of his elbows and remained on them as his legs were lifted up around the General where he bent them at the man’s back while his ass settled on the silverette’s lap. Cloud could feel Sephiroth’s cock pressed against his ass, ready to continue as his eyes slid to where their bodies touched. 

“Okay then,” Cloud muttered, the haze in his mind from the afterglow of release fogging and slowing his thoughts. But he got it. He could worry and stress about pregnancy later, a concept that still didn’t quite feel real, and perhaps that was what made it feel easier to totally disregard in the heat of the moment. All Cloud wanted to feel right now was full, to feel the dick of the one and only Sephiroth, his bond, inside of him, moaning in pleasure. The thought made the blonde feel a rush of warmth as a new kindling of arousal began to light despite having just been doused with release. The scent that smothered him, it was so good, so pleasant, like a preferred cologne, but Cloud recognized it now as Sephiroth’s pheromones, particularly ones that indicated his arousal. Sephiroth’s right hand slid down to the wet cheeks of the blonde’s ass and a single long finger pushed through the puckered ring of muscles. Cloud let himself lay flat on his back and relaxed. It wasn’t the same as when he was in heat, he felt like he wasn’t as pliable, but the silverette worked his finger in with ease. 

“Looks good. Though admittedly, this is only the second time I’ve done this. Alphas require more preparation,” Sephiroth said, his voice a rumbling purr of arousal and impatience. Cloud looked up at the silverette’s face which was downcast in concentration on what his finger was doing. The blonde gasped a little when the finger started to worm around, rubbing and searching around inside his hole. 

“Feels weird!” Cloud grunted and the silverette smirked. 

“Just a moment and it’ll quickly feel different,” Sephiroth said, a strong grip of confidence to his words. 

“Y-you do this with alphas?” Cloud asked. 

“I’ve always avoided omegas. And I never met a beta I wanted to fuck,” Sephiroth said, his voice growing a little rougher as what appeared to be his verbal filter started to crack and fall away.

“R-really?” Cloud asked when Sephiroth applied pressure up against a specific spot that shot a bolt of pleasure straight to the blonde’s brain and his cock. “Ah!” the silverette’s smirk grew nearly devilish, almost sinister then. It hit Cloud then, that the man pushing inside of him, this was the real Sephiroth. This was the General when he was unguarded out of public eye, when he was being completely honest. At least, when it came to sex. 

“Looks like I found your sweet spot,” the General declared with a satisfied purr to his voice as he rubbed against it again, stimulating the bundle of nerves and sending strong sparks of pleasure through the blonde as his cock began to swell hot against his abdomen with renewed life. Cloud’s hands lifted and his palms pressed over his eyes as his face and body flushed with heat. It felt so good, too good. The blonde’s hips jerked, his cock growing long, hard, and wet as the General continued his assault against the sensitive spot. 

“I’m going to make sure that you enjoy every thrust of my cock, Cloud. Right, here, right where you want it most,” Sephiroth declared in a breathy rumble of lust. Cloud moaned, nodding without care despite the sudden, lasciviousness of the General’s sudden vulgar language. It was almost like a switch had been flipped in the man. Suddenly the finger slipped out of his suddenly much more wet hole and the blonde’s hips were angled. 

“Look at me, Cloud,” Sephiroth ordered smoothly, and a shudder rippled down the former cadet’s back as he removed his hands from his eyes and looked. Immediately their eyes met and Sephiroth leaned over, one hand on his cock and the other on the blonde’s hip. A furious flush heated Cloud’s cheeks as the General held his eyes while he pushed in. Cloud’s felt intense heat burn his face as he jerked his head back with a sharp intake of breath, unable to keep still while the heavy pressure at his hole incessantly pushed against the ring of muscles. 

“Cloud,” Sephiroth called and the blonde groaned as he lifted his head, eyes having trouble focusing on the man’s beauteous, smirking face as his cock pushed and forced his hole to spread open. Cloud groaned, his vision almost doubling when he felt his hole flower open around Sephiroth’s dick, spreading wide around him. 

“P-please,” Cloud choked in a pant, begging for the freedom to not have to watch as Sephiroth split his body open on his cock. A sensual chuckle passed the silverette’s lips as he lifted Cloud’s hips, bending him at the waist more as his cock pushed in deeper, filled Cloud out more, and spread him wider. Cloud gasped and groaned, torn between the pleasure of getting exactly what he had wanted and the discomfort of such stretching. 

Sephiroth’s right hand left his cock and stroked the blonde’s cheek in an endearing way. Their eyes met again and the silverette simply continued to smile when he then took hold of both hips and pushed his hips down forward faster, pushing his dick deeper into the wide-open body beneath him. Cloud groaned, he was so full, stretched. And then he felt it, the pressure, the brush against his prostate, and his back twitched up as pleasure bubbled through him when it was rubbed by the thick length of dick sliding into him. Sephiroth’s hips pressed flush against the round of Cloud’s ass and the silverette stilled a moment before he moved his hands.

Cloud’s feet were lifted to once again secure at his upper backside like the blonde had experienced their first night together before the General leaned forward onto his hands, bending Cloud just a little more. Streams of moonlight hair fell around Cloud, framing their faces so that all they could do was stare at one another. Pleasure and a trace of some other emotion the blonde couldn’t quite place swirled around in those dilated cat-like eyes that bore into his own. Their breaths filled their ears as rushing blood warmed their bodies and produced extra sweat where they were connected. Sephiroth leaned down then and turned his lips to Cloud’s ear as he used his left hand to throw his hair over his neck, the long silvery streams spilling out over the bed. 

“You’re so tight,” he whispered in a slow, seductive purr and a shudder rippled through the blonde as his cock gave a deep ache and wet against his belly, Cloud was pretty sure his ass had twitched and wet some more too around the throbbing cock inside it. A stuttered breath of pleasure passed from the silverette’s lips before his hips drew back, dragging his dick backward and rubbing a delicious wave of friction through the blonde’s body. Cloud gasped a moan, hips jerking as his hole twitched around the crude thing sliding out of him before he suddenly turned his head and kissed Sephiroth on the lips. Sephiroth stared a moment, the cocky, seductive look in his face wiped clean from him by surprise. 

But it was only a moment before the curve returned to his lips and he kissed the blonde back before lifting up onto his hands and giving a forward thrust that drew low, pleasured moans from both. The General’s rhythm started off slow and deliberate, rubbing into and out at a measured pace as the blonde wet and loosened up around him, drawing forth pleasured moans from the two of them with each stroke of his cock. Slowly the silverette picked up pace, pumping his cock into the wet, pliant hole before him, watching in fascination and pure unadulterated lust as Cloud’s body flushed with pleasure that glistened in sweat. His pace grew more rough, harder the louder the blonde moaned, gasping and giving timid thrusts against him in indication that he felt no pain, and in fact, wanted more.

“Cloud, how does it feel?” Sephiroth panted, his voice somewhat distorted in his pleasure as his hips rocked the blonde on the bouncing mattress. Cloud groaned, hands searching out for something until he found the pillow behind his head and grabbed it. The blonde twisted his head to the side, a gasped moan breaking from the back of his throat when the General gave a hard rub of pleasure against his sweet spot while his brow tightened. He didn’t want to answer it, it was too embarrassing. The General suddenly stopped, cock shoved deep inside the blonde, but still. Cloud’s eyes snapped open and looked at the silverette, a pout shaping his face. Sephiroth leaned down and pressed a kiss to the blonde’s left ear. 

“Does it feel good?” Sephiroth panted, breathy voice tickling the blonde’s eardrum. Cloud gave a disgruntled groan, and the silverette’s smirk grew, amused. Cloud gripped the pillow hard and gave a nod as he used the strength of his abdominal muscles to give an impatient thrust. Sephiroth’s jaw tensed, finding the thrust and subsequent tightening of the blonde’s anal muscles particularly pleasurable. The silverette slid his cock back out again and thrust forward, rubbing against that spot, and Cloud gave an appreciative moan. Sephiroth picked up pace again, using the strength of his muscled hips and lowered back to drive his cock deep and fast into his omega while Cloud tugged what he could with his legs, wanting more faster. The rhythm was faster, rougher, and as the two rutted together, panted moans breaking from their throats, the rhythm quickly mattered little with a powerful hot urgency fueling their movements. 

“S-Se-ah!” Cloud gasped, his voice breaking and coherent words dying on his dry tongue as the powerful tight heat of orgasm twisted up tighter inside him. He was so close, he could feel it, it was almost there. Each strike of white-hot pleasure from Sephiroth’s cock shoved the blonde that much closer to the end, building up so high, so hot, too tight. With a cry Cloud tensed, muscles locking tight as orgasm rocked through his body, cum shooting hard against his belly in a glorious and embarrassing flourish. Sephiroth groaned, body steeling with one last thrust, pushed over the edge by the sudden, quivering tightness squeezing his cock as Cloud came, cum splattering his stomach and belly as his own orgasm stormed through him, gushing heavily into the rubber he wore. 

Both men remained still, panting for breath as their tight muscles shook with strain before slowly relaxing. The silverette pulled back to sit on his feet, his wet cock sliding out the blonde as Cloud sagged, panting and glistening with sweat while his right hand lifted up and brushed at his wet, sticking hair on his forehead. Sephiroth slid the condom off and tied it’s top before tossing it into the small waste bin by the bed. Cloud looked up at the General, watching the way the man’s pale skin heaved and glittered with sweat like granite crystals. Some of his lover’s hair stuck to him in a darker gray color, drenched in sweat and no longer so smooth. Their eyes met and they remained still, staring into one another’s eyes for a long moment before Cloud reached up and touched his throbbing bite. 

“When will this thing heal?” Cloud asked in between slowly calming breaths. The silverette leaned forward on one hand and used his right to peel away the sweaty patch. 

“It should heal quickly. Yeah, there’s no need for the patch anymore, though it looks a little irritated,” Sephiroth said in breathy words. The patch was then also tossed, though it barely made off the side of the bed before the silverette moved over Cloud and hit the bed with a tired thud on his back that shook the mattress. 

“The pain should be gone in a day or two,” Sephiroth added. As their breaths calmed and contentment settled into their bones, Cloud turned to look at the man lying at his side, head on a pillow. Sephiroth’s profile was beautiful, from the shape of his straight, regal nose to the curve of his lips and his strong chin. His eyes were closed and his face relaxed, surrounded by silvery hair spread across his pillow; he looked like a serene beauty. 

“I’m sorry, about causing this,” the blonde said and the General’s eyes fluttered open, long eyelashes fanning the air before his head turned, the long streams of his bangs sliding over his upward facing cheek as he looked at Cloud.

“I said no self-blame, didn’t I?” 

“I don’t mean that. I mean… you know, just now,” Cloud said, a bit of heat coming to the tops of his cheeks despite himself as he looked down the length of the bed. “I can’t seem to help it. Your smell, it really gets to me,” he admitted.

“You’re not the only one. Your scent affects me as well,” Sephiroth answered and blue eyes looked up at his face. The silverette rolled onto his side, a soft, languid smile spreading his lips. 

“I suppose we’ll have to get used to this. Because I can’t stop feeling incredibly aroused by your scent, particularly when you’re horny,” the General explained, a small chuckle to his words that danced with a little mirth in his eyes. An awkward grin spread the blonde’s lips as he bashfully redirected his eyes from those enticing green orbs.

“I’m glad then, that it’s not just me.” Sephiroth gave a nod not seen by the blonde. 

“Yeah.” the silverette agreed. After that, the two decided to stay on top of the blankets, mainly from being tired, hot, and sweaty. And when the pair drifted to sleep, it was with Sephiroth on his side and Cloud’s back pressed to his chest. It felt alarmingly comfortable, soothing, and neither cared to make a change.


	7. Taking A Step Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud is tired of being stuck in Sephiroth's place and wants something to do, and Zack is only too happy to move it along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for your comments and kudos! I hope everyone likes this chapter!
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

After ordering in breakfast Cloud got to see Sephiroth’s morning routine. The man showered, brushed, and then blow-dried all of his hair. It reminded the blonde of the story of Rapunzel, though of course, the General’s hair wasn’t anywhere near so long. There was a time or two Cloud had thought he’d seen Sephiroth smirk at him, but his hair hid most of his face throughout its care. After that, his clothes for the day were ironed while he sipped coffee. When he was finished, the General was impeccable, as usual. But, his uniform was different, and it felt rather depressing when the blonde thought about why the man was wearing a black suit over a white button-down shirt. Sephiroth did not wear a tie, he noticed, but the man was dressed in business classic. Even if he still looked commanding and handsome, the absence of the smell of leather or the familiar exposure of his powerful chest draped with his long leather coat was just upsetting. 

“You look like you work at a bank,” Cloud said, drawing the silverette’s eyes to his face before the man gave a soft smile. 

“Quite a banker I am then, since I get to command all SOLDIER troops,” Sephiroth said as he walked over, pulled out a chair from the dining table the blonde occupied, flipped it around, and sat down. A small smile twitched at Cloud’s lips, but it was hard to be excited still, even if the General was having a good humor about it. “I will still be in charge of SOLDIER training and mobilizing. I will pretty much do everything I did before, I just get to stay home when everyone is called out,” Sephiroth said. Cloud gave a solitary nod. 

“Yeah. I guess I’ll just miss the old clothes you wore, and the smell of leather,” the blonde declared and a hum came from the General. 

“Oh, you like leather, do you?” he asked, a suggestive purr to his voice as he leaned over toward the blonde. Cloud felt his cheeks burn a bit as his heart jumped in his chest. He looked up as Sephiroth leaned forward and their eyes met before his lips were given a kiss. 

“There are other ways to experience leather,” Sephiroth said in a low, sultry voice and Cloud felt like even his ears were burning. He looked away, shoulders tensing in awkwardness while at the same time trying to fight off a warming in his crotch. Dammit. 

“Don’t tease me,” Cloud said, his voice perhaps not as smooth as he would have liked. A soft chuckle hit the blonde’s ear before another kiss came into contact with his cheek, which made it hard not to smile, which he did with some struggle.

“All right then, teasing over. I have to leave for work, and if I tease you anymore I may end up late,” Sephiroth said as he stood and flipped the chair back around before he slid it back in. Cloud couldn’t tell if he was blushing anymore, he felt hot all over. The man had way too much charisma to tease him like that. It was an unfair power dynamic. Sephiroth walked to the door then, unlocked and then opened it before he looked over his shoulder at the blonde, twisting a little bit. 

“See you tonight.”

“Yeah, see you,” Cloud responded back somewhat reluctantly with the knowledge that the General gone meant he was going to be bored again. The door was closed and locked from the other side before Sephiroth’s heavy footfalls padded down the hall. Alone, Cloud looked around the apartment. Clean and orderly, he had even made sure the bed was made and neat before the silverette had finished his shower. The sight of the General’s fatigues, that iconic black raiment was depressing to see hung on the outside of the bathroom door. It should be worn by Sephiroth with pride. 

Cloud really didn’t like being stuck inside. Even if the apartment was nice and clean, it was small and had nothing to do. Even back home in Nibelheim he’d never been a very idle kid. He was always doing something, usually outside. The only thing he did inside was workout in his bedroom, primarily because he never wanted anyone to see him struggle with basic routines when he had first started. Cloud had been a bone-thin kid, and his mother used to tease him about his willowy arms and legs. So as soon as he tested to be a beta he began working out in preparation for the army. Since for Cloud, it wasn’t mandatory service, it was something he wanted. 

Deciding to do just what he had used to do inside anyway, the blonde walked to the end of the bed, pulled out the trunk, and dug out his baggy black pants and one of the plain black t-shirts he had got and changed. With his day clothes sitting on the bed, the blonde stretched like the day before, though this time he decided to put more effort into them to push his flexibility higher, did some warm ups to get the blood flowing, and dropped to the floor. There was one other problem Cloud realized as he got into position to begin performing pushups. Sephiroth hadn’t given him a key. If he were to go out, he would need one. Brow twisting in disappointment, the blonde began to lower and lift in time with proper breathing techniques. 

Was it that Hojo guy Sephiroth had mentioned? Though admittedly the notion was only a theory he had. Perhaps his mate hadn’t thought about it much. Annoyed, the blonde decided to make sure he brought the subject up to the silverette; he had, after all, been encouraged to do so. Cloud performed a variety of floor based exercises until his muscles burned and shook from the strain. After that the blonde moved upward, using even the bed to augment the stress he was able to apply to the various muscle groups he targeted again. By the time Cloud finished working every muscle in his body he was soaked in a decent amount of sweat and took a quick shower before tossing his sweaty shirt into the bathroom clothes hamper in the corner and stepped out into the main room once again. Finished, he pulled back on the studded black, sleeveless top he had gotten the day before and switched out his technically dirty, but still usable pants for his dark blue/gray skinny jeans. 

Cloud found himself once again taking stock of all of the General’s material possessions, once again finding himself at a loss for why anyone on Earth would not have a single pot or even silverware. All that occupied one drawer were small boxes of various plastic silverware. There were no plates, bowls, nothing. He did find some napkins tucked into what seemed was a random drawer. There was such a thing as being a minimalist, but Cloud wasn’t sure this counted. After he was done with that the blonde sat down cross-legged on the floor, quickly growing bored. He let himself fall back on the floor and stared up at the popcorn ceiling. He couldn’t stay in there. He needed to get out. He wanted to do something. If he had a job maybe he could actually buy some kitchen utensils, even food to make. Eating out every day wasn’t healthy, but of course, somehow the General was perfect despite his bad diet. Some people were simply blessed. 

A knock at the door drew the blonde’s eyes to it before he sat up and leaned forward to try and see around the upper corner of the bed to see the clock. It was only 11 in the morning, but he was pretty sure he knew who it was. Cloud got to his feet and walked over to the door before deciding to take a moment to look through the peephole. 

A man stood on the other side of it. He wore a suit, and there was a blank nametag pinned to the right lapel. The man had his face turned away from the door, but a sideways glance from the man made the blonde’s heart stutter. Then he noticed a cloth face mask tucked under the mysterious man’s chin. Suddenly uncomfortable, Cloud stepped back. Was he a ShinRa employee? But what was with the way he was standing there, hiding his face?

“Oh, hey there,” the sound of Zack’s muffled voice made Cloud’s heart jump in his chest. The blonde pressed against the door and looked through the peephole again. The man moved from the door, said nothing, and quickly walked down the hall, his head looking to be slightly turned away. Cloud almost hadn’t caught it, but he was pretty sure the man had pulled his mask up to obscure the bottom half of his face. Zack stood at the door, looking down the hall. “Okaay,” the First muttered as he turned to the door and curiously knocked. Cloud waited, not wanting to open the door immediately. It was only after the SOLDIER’s second knock that Cloud unlocked and opened the door. Cloud quickly leaned out the door frame and stared down the hall, and the First looked too. 

“Were you ignoring that guy?” Zack asked as the blonde stepped back in and grabbed the SOLDIER’s arm, pulling him to come in before the door was closed and locked. 

“Yeah. It was weird, he was trying to hide his face from the peephole. And his nametag was blank,” Cloud explained and surprise bloomed across Zack’s face. 

“Ah, I didn’t quite catch that. That is definitely suspicious,” the First said as he passed the blonde and looked out the peephole, angling his head as if to see down the hall. 

“I’ll inform the security guard in the lobby. Cuz that’s creepy,” Zack said as he turned from the door. Cloud stood in the middle of the room before the bed, looking pale. Concerned, the First frowned as he walked over and placed his hand on the blonde’s shoulder. 

“Hey, you got me here. And you’re smart enough to not open the door for some stranger,” Zack assuaged, but the attempt fell on deaf ears. All Cloud could think about was that theory that had been rattling around in his brain. Maybe he was thinking too much, maybe it had nothing to do with him, maybe it had something to do with Sephiroth, either way, it wasn’t something to ignore but something to be cautious of. Cloud looked up at Zack and gave a small, forced smile that quickly fell away as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. 

“You okay?” Zack asked as the blonde grabbed his prepared socks and pulled them on before stuffing his feet into his new Vans. 

“Yeah, why?” Cloud asked as he looked up at the First. It would be best to just file it away for the time being. Worrying Zack would mean nothing if it turned out to be nothing, it could even be a wrong address situation, though that still wasn’t good for whoever they meant to go to if it were someone else. Survival mode had kicked in as Cloud stood, his mind running over his time at Omega Square. He would not go back, not unless it was in a body bag. Sephiroth had said that a bonded omega could not be put back on there, and the knowledge that he couldn’t be forced to breed due to his bonding pretty much assured that there was no point in dragging him back there, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t try. Though the idea that Cloud was that desirable as a test subject was ridiculous. It was crazy to think that there were people that actually willingly went into Omega Square. Cloud had met many of them, and from what he was able to gauge, most were either there willingly because they thought they were doing something that benefited omegas as a whole or because they were from a place below rock bottom and found Omega Square to actually be a step up. Cloud himself, seemed to have been the only one brought in under false pretenses.

“So, ready to go get lunch?” the blonde asked as he walked up to the First and past him to the front door. He had Zack there, and the blonde wasn’t a pushover even if he was an omega. Zack stared, looking horribly confused as he followed after the blonde and patted him on the back when he met him at the opening door. 

“Yeah, sure,” the First said. After a beat, he grinned. 

“So, you that desperate for freedom, eh?” the SOLDIER asked and Cloud allowed a smile. 

“Yeah.” With that the two walked down the hall, took the elevator, and went to the locker room for Zack’s buster sword. All the while Cloud’s eyes searched every face they passed and looked around every space in the hallways, looking for a man in a suit with a face mask. They stopped by the security guard sitting at a curved desk by the front door, and true to his word, the Zack filed a formal report that was taken down in writing about the odd encounter at Cloud’s door. When he was done, the First flashed the blonde a tooth filled smile and patted his shoulder again before the two left the building. 

“So, whatcha want? We could have something else,” Zack said and the blonde nodded. Even if he wasn’t so sure how much the report would help, the idea that something had been done was somewhat reassuring. Not enough to drop his guard, but enough to relax, at least with Zack at his side. 

“Something else sounds good. I’ve never been in a city, so there’s a lot of things I’ve never tried,” Cloud answered. 

“Ah, yeah, me too. I mean, before I first got here. But now, I can show you the town! Well… all the food,” Zack said, a wolfish grin spreading his lips as he took the lead. 

The two ended up at an Indian restaurant, which was worlds of new to the blonde. When Cloud was directed to try Tikka Masala as a safe bet for being new to it, the blonde agreed and put in the order. The aroma was strong but quickly appealed to Cloud’s palate. Rich and robust in flavor the former cadet perhaps enjoyed the food a little too much as the two held conversation. A conversation Cloud was determined to have. He’d test it out first with Zack, and then go for it with Sephiroth, though the events at the door had shaken his confidence somewhat. 

“So you want a job? Cuz Seph has no stuff?” Zack paraphrased. Cloud nodded. 

“It’d also give me something to do. But, omegas can’t work, so it’s really frustrating,” the blonde said. Zack nodded.

“Yeah. I mean, as an alpha, I get it from the perspective of being affected by pheromones, but an omega on suppressants should be able to. But I guess suppressants don’t eliminate a heat really,” Zack awkwardly ran his hand through his hair, looking like his brain hurt. “I don’t know. I’m not an omega or an omega specialist. It’s hard to know what the right answer is,” the First said, looking perhaps a little depressed. Cloud gave a solitary nod.

“I don’t know enough to even make an argument,” the blonde said. “Anyway, because of all these limitations I wanted to ask you something,” Cloud added, and the First perked up. 

“Yeah?” 

“Is there some way, even if it's small and inconsequential, that I could work for you?” Cloud asked, bracing himself for rejection. Zack frowned, put the side of his jaw in his hand, and then looked up to the right. 

“Uh… well... no. Nothing,” the first said and the blonde fought to release his breath softly. “Sorry, Cloud. Oh!” Zack gasped, but then immediately flinched like he’d been hit. The blonde leaned forward, excited by the reaction. 

“What?” Cloud asked. Zack shook his head vehemently and raised his arms to emphasize his rejection. 

“No! Nonono! I uh… it’s not good. A bad idea!” the First gasped.

“Tell me, I don’t care if it’s a bad idea,” the blonde pressed and Zack’s face pinched like he’d eaten something sour. He scratched his temple for a second and averted his eyes. 

“Well, I thought of something. But then I realized that it was super offensive. Like, I didn’t mean to. It’s just, it’s the only thing I can think of,” Zack imparted. Cloud’s eyes hardened on the SOLDIER’s face.

“Say it,” the blonde ordered. Zack took in a breath and heaved a sigh. 

“Well… it wouldn’t be official or anything, cuz I can’t officially hire you. But uh… well… I was thinking, Seph seems to want you to stay off the streets. And well… my apartment is a total pigsty,” Zack explained, his voice hesitating, almost straining. 

“You want me to clean it?” Cloud asked. 

“Well, I’d pay you for it. And you wouldn’t even leave the building since I live only 2 floors down,” Zack explained and the blonde paused a second in surprise. He hadn’t realized the First lived so close. Zack suddenly jumped in his chair, his face lighting up in excitement. “Oh, hey! Got it! My apartment is mostly gym stuff, you know, training gear! You like working out, right? You can totally make use of my equipment in there! I’ll pay you to clean up my place for a couple hours, and then you can just freely use my stuff! And I can even help train you when I’m there! There’s no way you got that big without putting in effort. Even most basic training recruits don’t have as much development as you yet,” Zack said, his eyes sparkling. A small smile curved the blonde’s lips. 

“Yeah. That actually sounds great. I’ve been working out in the apartment, but having equipment and a training buddy would be great,” Cloud said and Zack gave an excited hoot before pulling out his cellphone. The blonde’s eyes fell on it, panic coming to his features. 

“What’s that?” Cloud asked. 

“Gonna let Seph know,” Zack explained and the blonde’s heart jumped into his throat. Before he could say more, the First had already hit the button. Within a couple rings, Sephiroth’s voice was on speaker. 

“Zackary, I’m busy,” was the General’s less than enthused reply. Zack grinned as if he appeared to enjoy the silverette’s annoyance and was quite accustomed to it.

“Uhuh. Just a sec. This is about Cloud,” Zack said and the blonde felt his throat tighten.

“Aren’t you with him?” Sephiroth asked, some tension to his voice.

“Yeah. We were just talking about Cloudie getting a job. I offered to let him clean up my place for some pay. And he can use my training equipment,” Zack explained. 

“This is not the time or place to discuss this,” the General said, his voice firm, commanding. 

“Come on~ You’re paranoid, Seph. He won’t be leaving the building. He can lock up my place when he’s in there. It’d be literally the same as being locked up in your place. Let him have some freedom,” Zack pushed, still smiling despite his aggressive stance.

“We’ll need to discuss-”

“You’ve got nothing for him to do! And nothing in that apartment! He’s bored and frustrated! Hell, you can escort him to my place in the morning, and I can take him back to your guys’ place after lunch. So he’s under guard the entire time. You’re really should relax. There’s no boogieman out to gobble him up.” Cloud watched the exchange, flabbergasted. It was astounding, how unafraid, and honestly, how good he was at pushing the un-pushable. Or at least what Cloud had perceived was unmovable. Maybe this was the perk of actually being one of the General’s close friends. 

“Let me talk to Cloud,” Zack grinned triumphantly, his eyes nearly sparkling as pressed a button and held out his phone for Cloud. The blonde nervously took the device and pressed it to his ear while the First resumed eating his tandoori chicken. 

“Cloud?”

“Yeah,” the blonde answered.

“Is this something you really want? Neither of us seem to be very good at conversation, so we’ve not addressed everything we should. But, I want you to know, that you are not my prisoner. But, the circumstances of your move into Omega Square has red flags all over it for many different reasons. Perhaps it’s an irrational feeling stemming from our new bond, but I’m worried that the forces which put you in Omega Square are still present,” Sephiroth explained, his voice steady, but deadly serious, determined. Cloud gave a nod that could not be seen, his expression focused. 

“Yeah. I’ve been… couldn’t I just go to Zack’s place?” Cloud asked. There was a pause on the other side. 

“Could I not simply buy whatever it is you need or want? I could buy you weights and equipment. I could buy you a TV. I’ll even buy you a game console if that would make you happy,” Sephiroth said. Cloud took in a deep breath, willed himself to straighten his back, and dug his heels in. 

“I want to go to Zack’s. It’s more than just wanting things. I want to do something, complete goals. All my life goals have been ripped out from under my feet. I don’t mean this in a way as to disrespect you or dismiss your concerns. I have them too. I was in Omega Square. And something even happened today, but if you and Zack are with me when I’m between apartments, I’m safe, right? You trust me in the apartment, and you trust me with Zack. So I’m safe no matter how you look at it.”

“Something happened today?” Sephiroth asked quickly, clearly focused on that one particular statement and the blonde winced a little.

“Yeah. Some weird guy was outside the door. He was acting suspicious and hiding his face. But, listen, if you or Zack are with me, and I’m safely locked up in a room, then I’m fine. Even someone at the front door won’t be a problem,” as Cloud spoke, he felt like he was saying the wrong thing, like his dug-in heels were starting to slip. He should have not talked about the incident at the door, though the silverette would have probably heard about it from Zack anyway. “Zack filed a report about it,” Cloud added, hoping to bolster his argument. It was silent a moment before the General’s voice came through.

“I don’t like it,” he said. The blonde’s heart sank. “However, I won’t fight you if you really want to. But, we’ll need to discuss this tonight.” Sephiroth declared with a tone of finality. Demoralized and uncertain, Cloud felt his throat tighten again. 

“Goodbye,” the General said and the blonde had to work to loosen his vocal cords. 

“Goodbye.” The line went dead and Cloud pulled the phone from his ear. When he looked at Zack, the First had stopped eating and was watching in concern. 

“He wasn’t being a dick, was he?” he asked. The blonde shook his head as he returned the phone and leaned on his elbows, staring at his food.

“No. But he’s not happy. He wants to have a talk about it tonight. He says he’ll let me though,” Cloud explained, his voice low and soft. The blonde paused and took a breath before releasing it and straightening his back before meeting Zack’s face. “But, I’m going to do it. I don’t know what Sephiroth’s going to say, but I’m pretty sure he won't try to stop me.” The SOLDIER gave a nod. 

“You know, I bet right now he’s going over all the stuff he can do to try and guarantee your safety. I don’t get why he’s so paranoid. What happened with Omega Square was a shitty case of negligence on duty and lapse of judgment by the science department. You mentioning that guy didn’t help either, though I mean, Seph should know,” Zack said, a small, careful smile spreading his lips. “Watch him come home with a taser. And an extra lock for the door,” as Zack spoke, his grin grew and he chuckled, which became a bit infectious. Unable to stop himself, the blonde cracked a small grin and laughed a little himself. The General was starting to feel like he could fit in with a doomsday prepper. The two resumed their meal, Cloud ordering more garlic Naan to finish his Tikka Masala. As he ate, the blonde wondered if perhaps he should open up about Omega Square. If he told Sephiroth and Zack, maybe they could do something. Zack in particular seemed to know nothing at all about Omega Square. Sephiroth did, or at least, he was uneasy about it, perhaps because he was uneasy about that Hojo character. But a part of Cloud really worried that nothing could be done. It was ShinRa, would ShinRa honestly police itself? The blonde doubted that. ShinRa did what ShinRa wanted. ShinRa, had wanted Cloud in Omega Square. Or someone in ShinRa, which basically amounted to the same thing.


	8. A Conspiracy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth brings home proof of a conspiracy revolving around Cloud and Omega Square.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you everyone for all the kudos and comments! I'm really glad that everyone has been enjoying the story so far! 
> 
> Sephiroth comes to Cloud with some damning evidence backing up his concerns.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

After lunch Cloud was taken back to the apartment. Anxious the blonde ended up locating the few cleaning supplies the General owned and started cleaning. He took breaks out on the balcony more than once and watched the vivid life of the city below him, feeling a bit jealous of the freedom everyone enjoyed. By six o’clock the door unlocked and opened, revealing the silverette. Cloud was sat at the dining table, staring off into space until his mate’s intrusion. Their eyes met and Sephiroth gave a small nod as he closed and locked the door before walking over, a plastic bag in his hand. The blonde watched curiously as the silverette placed the bag down, it had a lot of bulky stuff in it. 

“Good evening,” Sephiroth greeted, and Cloud gave a solitary nod as he watched the man pull out a screwdriver, two large sliding locks, and a cardboard case for a cellphone. The blonde stared at the items before looking back up at the General as he pulled out a chair and sat down. Once seated, the silverette pushed the box toward the blonde. 

“I’ve programmed my phone number and Zackary’s in there. The passcode is your birth year,” the General explained as Cloud curiously opened the box’s lid, revealing a pristine black phone inside. 

“So that I can call you?” the blonde asked. 

“For anything. Of course, my main intention is for you to use it should anything at all suspicious or dangerous happen. I will come for you immediately,” he silverette explained. Taking a breath, Sephiroth released a sigh as his mako green eyes fell to the locks on the table. 

“Now, I will be installing these. I may upgrade the bolt for one more difficult to pick too, but these will do for now,” Sephiroth explained as the blonde’s eyes also fell to the packaged locks, the brand they belonged to bragging about their quality. Cloud gave another nod, his throat feeling tight. 

“But before I do that. We need to discuss all the things we’ve managed to expertly avoid. I want to make sure we are on the same page,” the General said and the blonde took a breath. 

“Yeah.”

“So, why don’t we start with you. I want to hear everything you think and feel about your current situation,” Sephiroth said, his voice far too authoritative, but only in the sense that the man didn’t seem to know how to handle the situation and had fallen into professional mode.

“Um, I’m not sure where to start,” Cloud stated. 

“How do you feel, living with me? It’s been sudden, you haven’t been able to make any choices. You were very firm about that earlier, and I agree. So I want to know, what we should do,” Sephiroth said and the blonde’s brow tightened. 

“Well… actually, I like living with you. It’s true that it’s sudden, and I’m not a fan of being locked up in here bored all day. But, I have no choice, since we’re bonded I can’t just run off back home. And I always,” Cloud said, his voice catching a little as his cheeks burned and he turned his face down to avoid being so obvious, though it was most likely useless. “Admired you. So it’s really cool in a lot of ways. But I do want more freedom. And I want to know exactly what you’re thinking. You’ve never given me a key and we’ve never talked about what we can do, other than visit my mom in Nibelheim I guess,” Cloud explained. Sephiroth gave a nod, the length of his bangs swaying as he did so. 

“You want to know what I’m thinking? I’m thinking that… I don’t know what to do,” Sephiroth admitted with some reluctance. “I’ve been digging and done some… rule bending to figure out what happened with you at Omega Square,” the silverette said as he slid his hand into the pocket of his slacks and produced a folded up set of papers. Unfolding them, he slid them toward the blonde. Curious, but anxious Cloud pulled them to his face and looked. It was the papers he had signed in Omega Square. 

“It’s a copy of the form all omegas must sign before going into Omega Square. Specifically, this is a copy of yours. Look at the back page,” Sephiroth said. Cloud’s heart tightened in his chest as he flipped the page. More walls of text, but also some blank spaces. The General leaned forward and his finger pressed to a long empty line. 

“This here. It is required that it be signed. Under no circumstances must it be left blank. In fact, if left blank the omega in question must be refused in no uncertain terms. It says here, above it, that you must write in yourself while including your name, that you agree to all the tests and procedures in Omega Square that will be endured, and that should you break this contract, you will be sued for all funds associated with the medications, examinations, labor, room, and board. You never signed this, so the processor of these claims should have rejected it. But it was not. In fact, you see this mark here, at the end?” Cloud’s eyes followed the empty space to where a new sentence picked up and saw one small check mark. “Look at the bottom of the page.” The blonde looked to the bottom of the page, and there were actual signatures on the page. “This one.” Sephiroth pointed to one with messy cursive. “Professor Hojo.” The name made chills run down Cloud’s spine.

“It’s without a doubt now. Hojo himself bent the rules, checked off the box, using his own power in the company, particularly the science department, to override the need for you to give your full statement of consent,” Cloud stared, eyes wide as his throat went dry. Slowly, the blonde took in a deep breath. 

“So it really is true. This Hojo… he really,” Cloud took in another breath, his voice shaking a little as heat filled his eyes. It was hard to tell if it was relief or pain, but at least he knew for sure now. 

“I think the man at the door today was also related to Hojo,” Sephiroth stated in a firm voice and the blonde looked up, blue eyes hot and moist as a pleading look filled them. 

“Couldn’t we do something? If you showed someone-”

“It won’t matter. When it comes to his experiments, Hojo gets to do almost anything he wants,” Sephiroth cut in. 

“But, you have power too. Couldn’t you do something?”

“What would you have me do, Cloud? You know what kind of power I wield?” the General asked. The blonde blinked his eyes dry and sniffled.

“Why not? You’re Sephiroth! You could-”

“Shall I slaughter them then?” Sephiroth asked in a chilling tone. “That’s the power I wield, Cloud. So, if you wish me to use it, shall I kill everyone involved in Omega Square? I might if you ask me to. I could relieve their necks of the burdens of their heads if that is your wish.” Cloud reeled back as if he’d been punched. He stared, shock shaping his features. Sephiroth stared, dead serious and calm. 

“Shall I?” Sephiroth asked again. The blonde shook his head, unable to believe he had actually been expected to answer. The General leaned back to sit naturally in his chair and crossed his arms over his stomach.

“So, I’ve opted for the other option. To hide you, to keep you locked up. It’s the only way to avoid a fight. And I will fight, Cloud, if I must. Hojo is devious, manipulative, and incessant. He will not stop until he gets what he wants or its made useless for his purposes,” Sephiroth explained. 

“But, we’re bonded,” Cloud said. The silverette shook his head. 

“Won’t matter. If it did, as I said, he’d give up. But I don’t think he has at all. I don’t know what goes on in his mind, but it’s nothing ever good. There’s been recent activity on your file in the science department, activity in the last couple of days. Now, this could be due to what has happened between us, the timing is exact. But Hojo is very meticulous. I think if he didn’t want you anymore, he’d have wiped you from his database already. He hasn’t, because he hasn’t given up. For all we know, what he wants to do with you has something to do with you being an omega, but not necessarily reproduction related. He’s interested in you because you are rare, and that titillates him.” Cloud looked down at his lap, his heart heavy and his tied into knots stomach. It was too much, too crazy. 

“What do I do then?” the blonde asked. 

“My tactic has been to keep you locked up in here. But, I can understand that you’re bored and frustrated. Even if I had things for you to do in here, you can only stay cooped up so long before you’d desire to get out anyway. And honestly, it can’t be kept up forever, it’s not fair or healthy. Which is why I said I won’t fight you if you really want to go to Zackary’s. But I will make it known, I am not comfortable with it. I trust Zackary, which is why I arranged for him to be able to take you out. And I suppose I have some silly bias toward my own apartment because I know it, though in reality Fair’s is the exact same. But even here, when I am at work, I have wondered if I might one day come home and you are gone. It… chills me,” Sephiroth explained. Cloud gave a nod and looked up, expression grave. 

“I get it now. I should have asked you about it more thoroughly before,” the blonde said. His eyes then slid to the locks. “So, two locks for the front door?” he asked. 

“No, one for this door. This second one is my only requirement for Zackary, and he’s already agreed, with some healthy whining,” the General explained, and Cloud couldn’t help the small tug at his lips. He could not only imagine it, he could actually hear it. With that, the silverette stood, grabbed the packaged lock, ripped the packaging open, grabbed the screwdriver, and walked to the front door. 

“While I’m doing this, you can think about what you want for dinner.”

After Sephiroth finished installing the new lock the two ordered and ate dinner. During which discussion directed toward Cloud’s desires. 

“So, you want to work for Zackary to earn some money. If you want to have this place furnished I’m more than willing,” the silverette said from where he sat across from the blonde, spearing his fork into a piece of chicken from his takeout container. 

“Like I said, I also want something to do, a goal to complete. Even if it’s just chores, it’s something. Getting money is a bonus. And I’d really like to not have to depend on you for everything. If I can earn some money through honest work, then I can contribute to things myself. If you want to go buy basic kitchen utensils we can. But then I’d like to buy the food, or help buy food anyway,” Cloud explained. Sephiroth seemed to consider the blonde’s words while he chewed. After swallowing their eyes met. 

“Basically, you’re nesting,” Sephiroth said, a smirk curving his lips. Cloud’s cheeks burned as his heart jumped in his chest. 

“Wh-no, it’s just that there’s nothing here,” the blonde blurted.

“But you want to make this place your home. Nesting,” the silverette said, a glint of mirth in his eyes. Cloud averted his gaze, a pout coming to his soft pink lips, which drew out a small chuckle from the General. 

“Stop teasing me. Even you have to admit that this place is too empty,” Cloud defended. Sephiroth glanced around his apartment before settling his eyes on the blonde’s face again. 

“I suppose. All I’ve ever done is sleep in here until now, so I never needed anything,” the silverette explained. Cloud looked up at his mate’s face. 

“Was that literally all you did?” the blonde asked. 

“Yes. I ate in the SOLDIER mess hall for lunch and dinner, sometimes in my office. Breakfast was always picked up on the go, something I could eat while walking. Only since you came into my life have I been staying long enough to eat in the morning, or come home in time for dinner,” Sephiroth explained. 

“Oh,” Cloud mumbled. Somehow, that just seemed a little sad. 

“Well, it’s okay, isn’t it? That I’m changing so much? I thought it’d be nice to at least be able to make food for you to eat. I’m not a chef or anything, but I used to help my mom in the kitchen a lot and so I developed some decent cooking skills. It’s really the only thing I can think of to do for you, since I’m sitting around this place like a loafer,” the blonde said while Sephiroth finished his rice. 

“You’re not a loafer. You’re in an unfortunate situation that has caused you to lose your immediate freedom. And I apologize for not being able to do more. Short of declaring war on ShinRa and joining a group like Avalanche, my hands are tied,” the silverette explained and Cloud shook his head. 

“No, I get it. It’s not like ShinRa is a group that you can easily fight against. Everyone who has tried has failed,” the blonde said. A hum came from the General. 

“They’re all dead. Many killed by yours truly,” Sephiroth declared, drawing surprised blue eyes to his face. “It’s the only thing I’m good for really. All I’ve ever known is ShinRa. I was… bred for war, death is my only skill,” Sephiroth said after he finished his rice, and the blonde dropped his fork into his pork and leaned forward, his hands hitting the table. 

“Don’t say that. It’s not true,” Cloud declared, his voice firm. Sephiroth stared, eyes widened in his surprise before the silverette relaxed and gave a bitter laugh.

“Very passionate you are. You said you admired me, did you not? It’s because of my reputation as a General, isn’t it? As a man who kills. ShinRa dresses it up lavishly with propaganda, but I am a born killer. War is all I’ve ever known.”

“No. Even if war is all you’ve ever known. It’s not all you’re good for,” Cloud insisted. 

“What then? Can you tell me what other skills I possess? What other abilities you have observed?” Sephiroth asked. Cloud paused, his brows furrowing. It was almost like he was talking to another man entirely. This wasn’t the same Sephiroth he had been getting to know. Was he really so bothered, so uncomfortable in his own skin? Never had Cloud thought about Sephiroth past the images on the posters or presence in news conferences held by ShinRa. But even still, to have such contempt for himself, it was jarring. It made the blonde wonder how many people Sephiroth had actually expressed such feelings to.

“I don’t know you well enough yet,” Cloud muttered, averting his eyes somewhat in shame for not having a ready answer. 

“I see. Well, should you discover something, do let me know,” the silverette said, his voice somewhat dark. It really seemed like he had hit a nerve, prodded at something that had been sleeping within the General. Maybe not the blonde himself, but the situation he had brought with him.

“You’re really protective of me,” Cloud suddenly blurted, his cheeks growing warm. He kept his eyes averted, unsure if he could say anything while looking at the man and not burst into a ball of flame. “You’ve been so meticulous in trying to make sure I’m safe. You’ve been going out of your way to figure out what happened to me. And you’ve altered your entire life to fit me in without any complaints. It’s not exactly a skill or anything, but I think the dedication and care you’ve been putting into it all, it really means something,” Cloud was babbling and he knew it, but the verbal out pour wasn’t stopping. 

“It’s not just the bond that makes me feel good around you, it’s whatever it is you bring with you. And I think that’s worth way more than being good at any one thing. I mean, we’re both new to all this, but you’ve been such a great rock; I think I would be in a lot worse shape if it weren’t for all that you’ve done. And as I get to know you more, I know I’ll find more good things about you. Maybe some not so great, but no one’s perfect.” Finished, Cloud remained still, his eyes still looking away. He waited and listened to the General’s breathing. It was silent and with each second that ticked by tension filled the blonde’s heart. 

“Thank you, Cloud,” Sephiroth’s deep voice rolled into the blonde’s ears, hitting it in the pleasurable tenor it usually did when the silverette wasn’t upset. Chancing it, Cloud looked up and froze when he came face to face with the Sephiroth’s beautiful soft smile. “I may not be able to see all your points as anything particularly worthy of note, but I am glad that I make you feel good, and that my efforts are appreciated.” Cloud felt his entire face, even to his ears, burn as butterflies erupted in his stomach. Thoroughly embarrassed, the blonde sat down in his chair.

After that, the two cleaned up their places at the table and prepared for bed. Sephiroth took the first shower, once again at the blonde’s insistence. After Cloud had finished his shower, the same as last time, the General was in bed. Instead of the night before however, he was facing toward the blonde’s side of the bed. Cloud crawled in, eyes meeting Sephiroth’s, which brought a gentle smile to the man’s lips. Feeling butterflies in his stomach all over again, Cloud lied down on his side facing him with a shy smile of his own. As expected, the sheets and blankets overwhelmingly smelled of Sephiroth, and it was as comforting and soothing as the feeling of the heat within the fabric. 

“Want to cuddle?” the General asked and the blonde felt his heart flutter. Awkward, he gave a silent nod and rolled over. Within a second, the feel of Sephiroth’s body heat and form pressed against his backside made Cloud’s heart pound as one hand rest on his hip while the other slid beneath his pillow. He could feel the hardness of the silverette’s body, and his smell, God that smell was going to drown him, and the blonde knew he wouldn’t mind drowning in it. The weight of the General’s head pressed into his pillow and Cloud’s heart rate surged a moment when he felt the silverette’s breath disturb the spiky hairs on his head. 

“Goodnight, Cloud.”

“Goodnight, Sephiroth.”

After a few minutes, the blonde was able to calm down and relax, soaking in the scent and feel of his mate surrounding him. Sephiroth fell asleep almost immediately; his hand on the former cadet’s hip going lax while his breath quickly became even and deep. As he lay there, Cloud’s mind ran over the form he had been tricked into signing. And the signature that haunted its final page. Who exactly was Hojo? It seemed Zack was wrong; there really was a boogieman out there. The blonde felt a pinch of anxiety seize his heart and took a careful deep breath to try and calm while not waking his mate. He would be fine, he had both Zack and Sephiroth, and there was no way he’d open the door for a stranger, especially now. And if he got stronger, maybe even learned more than basic sword practice, maybe he’d be able to defend himself. He needed to get stronger, he had to. Hopefully, his being an omega wouldn’t get in the way. It was frustrating. Cloud wished he had more knowledge, more strength, more control over his life. Even though it wasn’t really true, it felt like he was dealing with an amorphous enemy. How was he supposed to deal with it? It really seemed, at least at the moment, that all of Sephiroth’s plans and actions were the only ones that could be done.


	9. Deeper Than A Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth and Cloud further deepen their bond with some rather rigorous morning exercise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos! Sephiroth and Cloud have a bit of bonding fun. I decided to do something a little different this chapter, I hope it worked out. From this point on (after this chapter), the pacing will change up a bit. 
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

Cloud woke to the pure white walls of his square room. The light that filtered in through the barred window was negated in effect by the bright white lights above him. Not bothering to get up the blonde looked down his bed toward the thick, heavy door to his room. It was closed and locked. It had been for two days. After trying to force his way into the office when the nurses came in to deliver breakfast and medication; he had been subdued by force. It was embarrassing that he hadn’t made it far. Knocked down and drugged the blonde woke up in his bedroom, the door closed with his breakfast and medication sitting there for him. His breakfast had been different, just a sandwich, probably to keep silverware from him. His daily tormentor in Omega Square, the brunette Dave, had visited him the first day after he woke up, congratulating him on making Omega Square history for his stunt. No one had ever tried to bulldoze their way to freedom before. And thus, two days passed with Cloud locked up. The nurse came into his room with armed guards after that, today the blonde had ignored them, opting to cover up his head while his food was delivered. He had tried to avoid his pills already, but had been forced to take them when his meal was collected a couple hours later, which led to horrible nausea. 

Cloud rolled over, not interested in eating. That’s when he felt a puff of breath disturb his hair. Chills ran down his spine as a wonderful scent filled his nostrils. The blonde went slack as a pleasant hum vibrated through his very bones, saturating him in pleasure and calm. Opening his eyes, Cloud stared up at the lamp on the bedside table. Sliding his eyes down a bit they focused on the front door. Reality clicked into place, placing him dead smack into current time. 

Cloud blinked slowly. He was on his side, his mate’s body pressed against his backside, warm and firm. The breath disturbing his hair was the silverette’s breath. Or, more like, a soft sigh. The General’s hand had fallen at some point, his fingers idly brushing his lower abdomen just above his sleep pants. 

“Sephiroth?” Cloud asked, his voice slightly rough with sleep. A pleased hum came from the silverette as the pleasurable thrum through the blonde’s body maximized, causing a pleasurable heat to swell his cock as his waking body shook off the vestiges of his dream. 

“Yes?” Sephiroth asked, his fingers tapping the firm muscles below his fingertips. 

“I thought I was in Omega Square for a second. But then I felt and smelled you. And suddenly, I was back here,” Cloud explained. The fingers stopped their teasing touch before a pressure touched the upper back of the blonde’s head. A kiss. 

“You’re safe now,” Sephiroth muttered into his hair, inducing a strong, hot shudder down the blonde’s spine as his cock swelled and elongated in his pants. Well, morning wood was a go. Cloud held his breath a second when the General started to rub at the band of his low rise pants, clearly aware of what was going on just beneath the fabric. The blonde frowned, his heart and stomach twisting. It wasn’t exactly a good time, but he needed to say it, and the only way would probably if he blurted it. Otherwise, he’d probably never get to talking about it. And somehow, it felt like his mate should know. 

“Sephiroth?”

“Hm?” 

“They stole eggs from me. I don’t know how many,” Cloud said and the hand stilled. It moved and grabbed his hip before he felt a backward pull. Anxious and tense, the blonde rolled over until his shoulder hit Sephiroth’s chest and he was able to turn his head to meet the silverette’s gaze. Fully alert and attentive. 

“I’m sorry. I have no clue what actually goes on in Omega Square. So I have no idea what they did with your eggs; only conjecture,” the General said and Cloud bit his bottom lip when his heart stuttered and tears wet the edges of his eyes.

“It’s okay. I just… thought you should know. I mean, we’re bonded and they stole potential children away, you know,” Cloud said, his voice quivering a little as he lifted his arm and wiped his eyes with his forearm. As soon as he did so, the blonde rolled back over and grabbed the blanket, pressing it to his chest with his hands. “I really hate it. I didn’t even know I had any. And as soon as I found out, they stole some from me.”

“I wish I could fix it all,” Sephiroth said as he pressed against Cloud and pulled the blonde to his chest with a hug from behind. Lifting his hands, the blonde touched the silverette’s strong forearms. 

“It’s okay. They can’t take anymore from me,” Cloud said, blinking his eyes dry.

“I’ll make sure you’re safe. It’s the very least I can do,” Sephiroth said as he allowed his arms to move. One arm slid out from under the pillow, snaking in under Cloud’s waist before a palm pressed to his chest while the other returned to his hip. “I’ll make anyone that hurts you pay for it.” A small smile quirked the blonde’s lips in response to such words. 

“Sounds scary. Wouldn’t want to get on your bad side,” Cloud said and a soft rumbling chuckle hit the blonde’s upward facing ear. 

“No one ever does,” the silverette said as his fingers stroked down to the still present bulge in his mate’s pants. A breath passed Cloud’s lips as the General’s fingers slid beneath the waistband and a hand wrapped around his cock. A shudder rippled up the blonde’s backside as he pressed his hips forward, indulging in the feel of Sephiroth’s strong, calloused grip massaging his dick to full hardness. Cloud tilted his head back into the silverette’s chest, to find his forehead given a kiss as Sephiroth’s hips ground against his ass while his hand gave a firm stroke of the blonde’s prick. Wetness collected in between the cheeks of Cloud’s ass, made worse when he felt the pronounced pressure of Sephiroth’s dick pressed against him in demand while the silverete’s wrist wet into motion, stroking the blonde’s cock in strong, firm motions. 

“Se-Sephir-” Cloud grunted, his words cut with a pant as the hand on his chest slid up to his chin and urged him to tilt his head back more. Doing so rewarded his lips with a kiss as the General’s long silvery hair fell over them in a private curtain. Cock wet and leaking, a moan rumbled against the inside of the blonde’s closed lips as Sephiroth’s fist moved faster, thumb making sure to rub against the exposed wet head while he used the growing amount of slick to aid in the sliding of his fist. Cloud moaned, muscles quivering tight as his hips stilled, caught between wanting to feel the rub of the General’s cock against his ass and the fist pumping his dick. 

“You’re beautiful, Cloud,” Sephiroth declared, his voice heavy and thick with lust. A tremor assaulted the blonde’s pounding his heart, darkening his flushed cheeks further as his eyes fluttered open, long lashes fanning the air. His upside down view of the silverette’s Elvin countenance was immediately obscured by chin when his lips were kissed again. It wasn’t true, the one that was truly beautiful was Sephiroth, everyone knew that about the man. An Adonis, a sculpture of a male in his prime with a delicate beauty that drove women mad. Unlike Cloud, who stood shorter than average and much more average in traits. His only particularly unique characteristic was his damned hair. 

The silverette’s tongue pressed in between the crevice of his lips and the blonde almost choked on his own spit before he swallowed and parted them. The General’s slimy muscle plunged inside aggressively as he leaned forward over Cloud some more to angle his head. Lips fully healed and tongues slipping together, Sephiroth rubbed his cock against the blonde’s ass more urgently while his fist slid up and down the wet dick in its grip faster. Cloud gasped into the General’s mouth, back muscles convulsing as his hips jerked and toes curled. The blonde’s uppermost knee lifted as he redirected himself and pressed back against the cock rubbing his ass, and a low, rumbling moan echoed from the silverette's mouth as he simultaneously gave the blonde’s dick a firm squeeze, which caused a shot of pre-cum to hit the inside of his boxers. Their lips broke apart for breath and the two stared into one another’s eyes as Cloud slid his hands down and grabbed the General’s wet fist. 

“Do we have time?” Cloud panted. The silverette smiled.

“I don’t always have to be early,” Sephiroth answered in a devious tone. A small smirk curved the blonde’s lips as he sat up. The silverette’s hands fell away from Cloud as he pulled his shirt off, exposing his broad backside to the General. The building network of muscles slid beneath firm, creamy skin, and the silverette watched in appreciation as the former cadet worked his pants and boxers off. Deciding to stop staring, Sephiroth slid his briefs off. After tossing the garment to the floor and grabbing a condom from his bedside drawer, the silverette’s scarcely had settled onto his back when his hips were straddled. Their eyes met, and a shyness came over the younger man’s face as he placed his palms flat over the strong definition of the General’s abdomen. Sephiroth’s eyes wandered his mate’s body, still in disbelief that he was looking at an omega’s body, something he couldn’t stop appraising as he slid his hands to the blonde’s hips. And he wondered how much his mate could continue to grow. The silverette had never been fond of skinny, fragile looking lovers, and though the blonde was most definitely slender, the build of muscles appealed greatly to the silverette’s tastes. Even that cock, swollen and heavy, wet and leaking from the head was alluring. His lover wasn’t circumcised, and he wondered if it really was true that circumcision reduced sensitivity. 

“So, uh, you always do everything. And today I thought- that there were things I wanted to try,” Cloud said, his voice an awkward, stilted mumble. Sephiroth’s smile returned, excitement brightening the glowing green of his eyes. The silverette’s rightt hand lifted and brushed the cheek of his lover with the backs of his fingers. 

“What are you wanting to try?” Sephiroth asked and the redness in Cloud’s cheeks darkened. A soft chuckle rumbled from deep within the General’s chest, watching as blue eyes slid up to look at him. 

“Can you just lay there and let me try some stuff?” the blonde asked, finding a way to expertly avoid actually voicing what appeared to be embarrassing. It was rather clear that Cloud had never had sex until their bonding, so it wasn’t such a surprise that he may be awkwardly feeling things out. It was thrilling to have his mate want to be an active partner. Sephiroth gave a nod and relaxed as he placed the packaged condom on the bedside table by his clock, the red numbers reading out five twenty-seven. 

The blonde swallowed, and it was visible from the way the muscles in his throat worked, his Adam’s apple bobbing low before Cloud leaned down and took initiative in kissing the silverette’s lips. His movements were not as well practiced, but quickly the General opened his mouth, allowing the blonde to plunge his tongue inside as his head angled to allow their lips to fully seal. Cloud bumped teeth a few times but quickly corrected his posture and force until the two relaxed into a drawn out session of tonguing: exploring, rubbing, and sucking. Though his cock ached to be inside his mate, whose aroused scent was clawing at him in demand to be fucked, Sephiroth willed himself patience. He could feel the warm wetness from where Cloud sat on him, knowing that his lover would want his cock inside him the end. Finally, the blonde pulled back, gasping for some breaths before he slid down the silverette’s body, going immediately toward whatever goal it was he had in mind.

Cloud kissed down Sephiroth’s chest, his soft pink lips teasing across his flesh. Sephiroth relaxed, the throbbing in his cock growing worse as he waited in anticipation, judging the blonde’s goal from his downward trajectory. The very idea of which, was too exciting. Sephiroth had, had many lovers, mostly just blurred faces that he cared not to remember because they hadn’t mattered. Cloud was different despite their bonding having been something neither had consciously chose. The General had always struggled in forming bonds with others, and those that he did manage to bond with seemed to break away as if tethered with only spiderwebs. 

Zackary seemed the only one that might actually stick around, unable to be blown away by a strong gust of wind. Once he had spent weeks barely able to sleep: frustrated, betrayed, angry, and then simply sad. He had decided back then that he would not form bonds with anyone else, even Fair would be kept at arm’s length. But now, he was compelled to hold tight and lavish his mate, Cloud Strife. Not simply because of their bond, but because of a rapidly growing infatuation. The blonde was both a mix of common and remarkable, as if he strode around in disguise. It made the silverette want to peel the layers away and discover the nuggets of gold beneath until he had a secret treasure trove in his arms. 

Cloud stopped at his hip and the General smiled as he slid his hand down and rubbed the side of his long index finger against his lover’s cheek. Blue eyes met his own as the blonde’s hand wrapped around the base of his cock before he pulled it to his lips. A strong pulse of arousal coursed through the General, blowing his pupils wider as the blonde, as if performing some naughty tease, wrapped his lips around the head. The feel of hot, wet warmth around the head of his cock drew forth a pleasured breath from the silverette before virgin tongue licked at the leaking slit, and a tremor worked through the network of muscles throughout the General’s body. 

Sephiroth was quite certain Cloud had never had sex or any experience of any significance anyway, and it showed in the way the blonde moved. The General allowed his head to fall back onto his pillow, willing his hands to behave on his abdomen while Cloud gave an experimental suck while sliding his tongue against the wet head with more boldness. Sephiroth allowed a rumbling hum of pleasure, encouraging the blonde who began to swallow him down deeper, sucking and rubbing with tongue. Cloud managed to only swallow almost halfway before Sephiroth felt the blonde’s throat spasm around him, sending delightful throbs of pleasure through his cock. 

“Relax your throat and take your time,” Sephiroth said as he moved his hand again and settled it into the blonde’s soft, spiky locks of hair. So soft, it was easy to break the spikes apart with his fingers, though they would immediately clump back together as soon as he stopped. The silverette’s pressed his fingers to the blonde’s scalp and massaged his head gently, hoping to urge further relaxation. Cloud sucked back to the tip, and Sephiroth’s sighed in pleasure. The blonde set his head into motion, struggling initially to keep himself relaxed as his mouth slid back down and then up the General’s cock in long, sucking motions. 

Pleasure bloomed hot and spidering across Sephiroth’s flesh as the silverette once again relaxed his head, enjoying the tight sucking of his mate’s mouth on his cock, his hand moving with the slow, steady bobs. His breath quickened and deep, Sephiroth massaged his fingers more aggressively into the blonde’s scalp, encouraging him while working to keep his own hips still. It felt good, the smell of his mate’s arousal filling the air around him while he worked to suck his dick. If Cloud was able to keep it up, he might even be able to make him cum despite his inexperience. Cloud pushed himself to swallow more suddenly and his throat clenched, tearing forth an unexpected moan from the General before the blonde ripped away, coughing. Sephiroth shot up and slid to the blonde, his hand firmly patting his lover’s upper back while his mate worked to clear his own spittle and other fluids out of his windpipe. 

“S-sorry. I got impatient,” Cloud wheezed slightly as he coughed with his face turned away into his fist, his voice like gravel. A small smile curved the silverette’s lips as he leaned over the blonde, turned into the side of his face and kissed his cheek. 

“It’s all right. I appreciate that you wanted to try sucking me off,” Sephiroth whispered softly. Cloud looked up, blinking the remaining water from his eyes, his cheeks a bit red. 

“I really sucked at it, didn’t I?” he asked and the silverette chuckled. 

“I wouldn’t say that it’s fair to judge someone whose never done something before,” Sephiroth answered. 

“I need to practice,” Cloud muttered, his face growing a bit darker. A grin spread the General’s lips. 

“Well, you can practice on me as much as you want,” Sephiroth volunteered and Cloud gave an awkward laugh before giving one final cough into his fist. 

“Yeah, well, I can only practice on you anyway. So you’re stuck with my crappy blow jobs until I get better,” the blonde said with a small, cheeky smile. Sephiroth chuckled as he slid his hands to either side of the blonde’s face, urged his head to turn, which the blonde did, and gave his lips a full kiss. Once separated the blonde looked down at the bed.

“I would have it no other way. It was cute watching you,” Sephiroth declared and Cloud froze a second, and for a moment even his ears looked a tinge red as the blonde ran his hand through his hair in awkwardness. 

“A-anyway, there was something else I wanted to try, if you’re still up for my clumsy sex,” Cloud said, changing the topic. 

“Oh? Well then, what position shall I assume?” Sephiroth asked, a tease to his voice. The blonde eyed the General wearily, clearly quite done with the teasing. Sensing that the threshold had been met, the silverette leaned back and waited.

“You can just lay down like before,” Cloud said and the General followed the informal order. On his back he placed his hands over one another on his abdomen and smirked at the blonde. Cloud’s eyes drifted to the table. Following his mate’s gaze, Sephiroth twisted slightly, grabbed the packaged condom, and returned to his back, looking cocky. The blonde crawled over the General, his hard cock hanging between his legs as he moved on his knees, took the wrapper and sat down on the silverette’s thighs. Cloud was the most inexperienced lover Sephiroth had ever had, normally any clumsiness was met with a great deal of frustration from the General, as he was not one to play around before getting what he wanted. He had been the sort to have a quick, hard fuck and then leave with his needs met. Cloud broke the wrapper open and pulled out the lubricated rubber. He was embarrassed, it was so obvious just from the way the blonde attempted to hide his face. 

Thinking on it, he had never let Cloud touch his cock before, had only used it to penetrate him. Not that Sephiroth had been intentionally denying him. So it wasn’t a surprise for a young man handling genitalia not his own for the first time to be at least somewhat awkward. Nervous, the blonde took his mate’s cock in his hand and slid the condom over the wet tip, and Sephiroth couldn’t help the small shock of pleasure from being handled as the rubber was slid on snug and carefully slid down the length of his cock. 

“I still can’t believe that I can get pregnant at any time. It makes heats even more annoying,” Cloud mumbled. Sephiroth turned his head slightly, trying to see past the blonde’s bangs. 

“I’m finding it oddly beautiful,” the silverette said, drawing surprised blue eyes to his face. 

“What?” Cloud asked. Sephiroth thought for a moment before answering. 

“I had decided early on that I would not pass my genes on. So I never even really thought much about the idea itself. It was almost strange to me, seeing pregnant people and children since I felt so far removed. But, I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, as it is possible you could be pregnant even now. And I’ve come to think the ability to bear a child is a beautiful thing, somehow it makes you more attractive,” Sephiroth explained. Cloud frowned as he crawled up over the General and sat on his abdomen and the silverette’s hands moved to his mate’s slim hips. 

“Have you changed your mind about having a family?” Cloud asked. Sephiroth’s smile dropped, replaced with a look of discomfort. 

“I don’t have an answer for that,” the silverette said and the blonde stared a moment before giving a solitary nod. After a beat, Cloud twisted and looked backward as one hand slid back and grabbed the base of the General’s cock. 

“So uh, I wanted to try this. Though the more I think about it the more I feel like, maybe it’s too embarrassing,” Cloud said and Sephiroth let his smile renew as his hands slid up the slender, but strong sides of his lover. 

“Ah, I see. Perhaps a little help is needed,” the General said. After a second, a red cheeked Cloud rose up onto his knees while the silverette slid his hand under the blonde and took over in grabbing the base of his dick.

“Now, you just need to relax and sit down,” Sephiroth explained and the blonde nodded as the redness at his cheeks spread. It was awful cute, his mate blushed so easily, but he always tried to play it off or hide it. But, ah, he couldn’t hide his face at the moment, which was truly a treat. With his left hand on Cloud’s hip as a guide, Sephiroth watched, his tongue snaking across the inner edge of his lips as the blonde began to lower himself. As soon as Cloud’s wet hole pressed against the head of his cock a shot of pleasure rippled through the General, but he bit back his reaction and stilled his muscles. 

His mate paused a second and took a breath before sliding down, pushing Sephiroth’s dick against his slick entrance. As the muscles began to spread open Cloud sucked in a breath. He stilled and the silverette took in a breath of his own, willing himself to keep still. Ramming himself into that tight head gripping the tip of his cock would not be good, even if every fiber of his being wanted to. Once calm, Cloud resumed sitting down, biting into his bottom lip as his ass hole flowered open wider around Sephiroth’s cock, his insides opening up around the prick sliding deeper and deeper inside of him. 

“Ahm,” Cloud grunted, his face flushing dark red when his back tensed and his cock dribbled onto the General’s lower abdomen. The blonde’s breath quickened through his nose, sweat building up over his forehead as he slid further down, body quivering as it swallowed inch by inch. Sephiroth groaned, his own alabaster skin a tinge red in his pleasure as his cock slid into the tight confines of Cloud’s body, stroking him in one long, torturous, pleasurable stroke. Sephiroth got his hand out of the way and the blonde’s weight settled fully onto his hips, gripping his dick all the way to base. Both sucked in deep pleasured breaths as their eyes met. Sephiroth offered a smile which Cloud awkwardly returned, though his lips had twitched a bit. 

“Let me know when you’re ready,” the silverette’s said, his voice a breathy rumble distorted by a pleasured groan. Cloud gave a nod as he caught his breath a moment, eyes cast down to the side. It was a surprise, Sephiroth had not expected his mate to be so adventurous so soon due to what appeared to be a strong case of shyness, but the blonde was very much willing to make moves on his own. After a moment Cloud took a deep breath, released it, and fixed the General with his gaze. 

“So uh, I just gotta slide up and then sit down, right?” Cloud asked and the silverette nodded, a devious smile curving his lips. 

“Yes. Do a squat,” Sephiroth said, the mirth in his voice reflected in his eyes, which only intensified from the mortified look that crossed the blonde’s face. Cloud’s right hand went to his face, his skin flushed darker once again. 

“You had to say it like that, didn’t you?” he asked and the General chuckled. 

“At least I didn’t mention a certain co-worker of mine,” Sephiroth said and the blonde groaned while the General firmly took hold of both of the blonde’s hips. 

“No more, please,” Cloud begged and the silverette chuckled. 

“Fine, fine,” the silverette said, giving his hips a mildly forward thrust to emphasize his point, which drew a soft grunt from the blonde. Recovering with a breath Cloud adjusted himself slightly on his knees and lifted up, the muscles in his thighs clenching as he slid up the thick length of the silverette’s cock. A low groan of pleasure snaked from the General’s mouth, mirrored by his lover’s as the tight friction of the blonde’s sucking hole slid up, and then down after the barest of a second. On his way down again, the blonde twitched, a moan passing from his parted lips when he settled down. 

“Th-this is harder than I thought,” Cloud panted as he slid up, and both moaned in unison before the blonde settled down a little faster. The blonde picked up his speed, attempting to maintain a fast rhythm by increasing the demand on his thigh muscles and using his weight to slide down faster. Both men panted for breath and moaned on each tight slide that jolted pleasure through their bodies with each up and downward slide. Cloud’s thighs began to quiver, muscles flexing as his back arched and his shoulders twitched, struggling as the friction of their bodies sliding together fueled him to move faster. Sephiroth’s hands slid to the blonde’s ass and grabbed hold, and the blonde gave a small yelp when he was slid up faster and then dropped down, tearing moans from both. 

“Ah, Se-Seph,” Cloud panted as the General sat up and leaned over the blonde. 

“Put your hands on my shoulders,” Sephiroth ordered and the blonde obeyed. In unison with Cloud pushing up and sliding down with the aid of the General’s powerful arms, the speed of the tight, sliding friction increased. Cloud gasped against the silverette’s shoulder, his back tensing and muscles spasming every time his prostate was rubbed, tearing throaty moans from the back of his throat. The mattress creaking and bouncing beneath them went ignored as the rush of blood in their ears competed with the sounds of their heavy breathy and low moans. Sweat glistened their bodies as hair stuck to various locations of flesh between the two of them. Their mouths met in frequent, messy, slobbering kisses as they attempted to meet on each downward slide. Cloud grew more spirited each time his sweet spot was rubbed against, muscles rippling beneath his creamy flesh as he tried to make things move faster while his cock rubbed and leaked against Sephiroth’s abdomen.

“S-faster,” Cloud grunted, the sound breaking against the General’s ear with urgency. Arousal flared hot and wild in Sephiroth as he wrapped his arms around the blonde’s waist and rolled forward onto his knees before using the momentum to roll the blonde onto his back. Cloud hit the mattress with a grunt, his head hanging over the edge as the silverette leaned back on his knees and took the blonde’s ankles in his hands. Wrapping them over his shoulders, the silverette held onto his lover’s thighs and thrust forward hard. A moan broke from the back of Cloud’s throat when his prostate was rubbed hard and his body bounced hard while his head jerked back.

Sephiroth picked up an urgent pace, sliding his cock in and out the pliant, quivering ring of muscles, groaning every time they stroked over his dick. His mate’s prick bounced and leaked against his belly, twitching as his body jerked with the rocking creak of the mattress, mouth open wide and panting out moans. Eyes squeezed shut and pink lips open wide, the blonde was a beautiful sight. Cloud’s hands grabbed the backs of his thighs as to present himself as the silverette watched his cock plunge rapidly in and out of the blonde’s hole. The sound of the slick sucking of Sephiroth’s dick rubbing into Cloud’s ass complimented by the slap of their bodies meeting filled the space between them, competing with the breathless moans that echoed into the room. Faster and harder, desperate both men gasped out with each urgent thrust of Sephiroth’s cock. Cloud’s right hand abandoned his leg as it scrabbled to his curedly bouncing cock, and the General watched, eyes blown wide in pleasure as the blonde’s fist grabbed his leaking prick and began to rapidly, mindlessly rub and down. 

“S-Seph-ah!” Cloud gasped, voice cut off with a cry when his back arched, muscles all over his body tightening as the muscles of his hole clamped down while he came with a healthy gush over his hand and abdomen. An open-mouthed, panted moan broke from Sephiroth at such a sight as he continued to forcefully rub his cock into the tight heat of his lover’s body while boiling heat filled him, wanting to burst free. So close, just a couple more demanding thrusts. Orgasm hit the silverette and he tensed over the blonde, yanking his legs to his shoulders as his hips smashed against the round of Cloud’s ass as he came, filling his condom. 

After the rush of orgasm drained from them, the two relaxed, panting for breath as Sephiroth pulled from the blonde, hands slightly shaking from the adrenaline rush as he slid the condom off and tied the end before he leaned over toward the blonde’s side of the bed and tossed the used condom into the trash. Cloud sat up, quivering abdominal muscles clenching to clear definition from his sit up as he let himself sink forward, hitting Sephiroth’s chest upon his return. The silverette caught his mate before he pulled the smaller man to lie down on top of him while his head hit the pillows. Exhausted, the two sagged as the sweat that slicked their bodies rapidly began to dry. It was silent for a long few moments as the two soaked in the warmth of release before the blonde lifted his chin and placed it on his hand atop Sephiroth’s chest. 

“Sorry I couldn’t keep it up,” Cloud said as he looked at his mate, noting how the silverette’s closed eyes were nothing but incredibly long lashes. A languid smile crossed the General’s lips, his expression entirely sated. 

“Practice is all you need. I enjoyed myself,” Sephiroth said with a pleased sigh. 

“Oh, yeah? Practice makes perfect, huh?” The General cracked his eyes open and the two looked at one another. 

“Something like that,” Sephiroth said, a small chuckle to his words. A smile spread the blonde’s lips as he slid his hand away and placed his head down and stared at the sliding glass door to the balcony.

“So, should we shower and head over to Zack’s?” Cloud asked. There was a long pause before a disgruntled sound came from the silverette. 

“I suppose. I prefer to be lazy after sex, but we haven’t such luxury in the morning,” the General said and another smile came to the blonde’s lips. 

“Yeah.”

~~~~~

After showering Sephiroth escorted Cloud to the elevator, rode it down two floors, and walked to the SOLDIER’s door. Zack enthusiastically greeted the two, though wrinkled his nose when he got a whiff of them. 

“You guys fucked this morning. And the shower didn’t help,” Zack said and Cloud flushed bright red while Sephiroth ignored the statement. His eyes roamed the apartment, and it was a certified pigsty. Clothes were strewn everywhere, magazines spilled in one corner. Trash from eating out piled in what appeared to be almost random places. And his sink was full of dishes. The only part of the room that was clean was the area around the gym equipment. In fact, the way a couple of shirts were scattered on the floor around the equipment were clearly the work of a foot shoving them out of the way. It was enough to give the silverette a headache. 

“I’m installing this,” the General declared as he took to the door with the new lock and his screwdriver.

“How did you let this place get so bad,” Cloud said after his recovery. Zack gave an awkward laugh. 

“Uh, well, I used to keep up with it. A good friend of mine used to really lay into me about being responsible and disciplined, and the first place to start is the bedroom. But uh… well… I’ve kind of fallen back into bad habits,” Zack explained. As he did so, a twinge of discomfort hit in Sephiroth’s chest as he worked on tightening the screws into the wall.

“I guess this good friend of yours would howl if they saw this room then,” Cloud said and the General detected the hurt in the First’s laugh. 

“Yeah. He would. But, that’s what you’re here for buddy! You help me, and I help you! Right, we’ll scratch each other’s back!” Zack declared. Finished with both sides of the sliding lock and satisfied with how firm they were to the wall, Sephiroth turned around and looked at the two. Cloud stood in the middle of the room, eyes trying to be discreet as he glanced at the training weights and other equipment shoved together, clearly drawing most of his attention. There really wasn’t enough room, but it seemed the First had been quite dedicated to making them fit. 

Once the two were outside the front door Sephiroth hesitated, he didn’t want to leave. Even with Cloud standing at there, ready to lock it tight until lunch, the General couldn’t quite make himself leave. He wanted to say something, but nothing he could say would be useful, and he’d end up sounding like a mother hen. Cloud wasn’t dumb, he would stay inside and only answer when he knew it was Zack. The two stalled for a long moment with the Lieutenant General looking bored down the hall waiting. 

“See you this evening,” Sephiroth greeted. Cloud gave a nod before he suddenly moved his hand from the side of the door and straightened the front of the silverette’s suit. 

“Got to look sharp, right?” the blonde asked as he pulled his hands away and put them on the edge of the door and door frame. Sephiroth gave a solitary nod. 

“Yes,” the General said. “See you tonight then.” He repeated. 

“Yeah, see you tonight,” Cloud said back.

“I’ll see you at lunch, bud!” Zack called from down the hall and a small smile curved the blonde’s lips. With that Sephiroth finally turned and started down the hall, watching over his shoulder and listening as the door closed and the locks were all set. 

“You’re too paranoid, Seph. Cloud’s safe,” Zack said when the General caught up to him and the two began to walk side by side. It was an odd sensation, walking away from the blonde. It always was. Like he was walking away from a piece of himself. The blonde’s scent and body heat pulled him close and held him there. To walk away was to do so with effort. It wasn’t so simple as that of course, it couldn’t ever be. Genuine was his pleasure in Cloud’s presence. Shy and awkward, but not a coward, the blonde continued to engage him in fascinating ways, surprising and delighting him. Only be it a few days, but Sephiroth had already come to value the blonde’s presence immeasurably. He had dreaded it at first, wished there was some way to undo what he had done before the blonde had awoken that first morning. But already such desires had been flipped around. At first, he thought to blame the bond, but he knew, just like Cloud had argued the night before, it was more than that. They were compatible, they truly were. And it was as wonderful as it was terrifying.


	10. Close Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Cloud and Zack have a good time in the First's apartment, an unsettling encounter disrupts the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! As always, thank you all for your kudos and comments! The support is much appreciated! Cloud gets pro-active.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

Cloud stared at the mess in front of him, unable to believe that a SOLDIER First Class was responsible for it. As he picked his way through the one room apartment he discovered even more messes. It seemed odd. If Zack had once kept an orderly apartment, how in the world did he come to let it go? And the blonde did not miss the SOLDIER’s discomfort in talking about his friend, from the way his lips dipped and he avoided looking him in the eye, and though barely perceivable, the blonde could have sworn he heard a slight tremor to the man’s voice. If there was one thing Cloud could recognize, it was someone trying to avoid something uncomfortable. Which left only one thought in his mind-loss. Or maybe even death. A friend, maybe even a mentor gone. It was all speculation, but the blonde wondered if depression could have caused the First to stop taking care of his apartment. With a sigh, Cloud found a box of trash bags under the kitchen sink and shook one open. He wouldn’t pry, that was one thing that he knew better than to do. If Zack ever wanted to talk about it, he would, and the blonde would listen.

The piles of trash were the first to go. Cloud worked his way around the apartment, tossing anything clearly leftover from takeout and wrappers from other items bought. It really did seem like an apartment belonging to a depressed bachelor. Once done with that, the blonde set about picking up all the clothes and throwing them into the cut open large box that seemed to serve as a makeshift hamper in the corner of the room by the balcony door. He wouldn’t be able to clean them since he’d have to leave the room, and plus, he had no idea where the assumed laundromat was. Finished there, Cloud changed all the bedding once he located clean, folded, but unceremoniously piled bedding among also clean clothes. After making the bed he folded the remaining clothes and like Sephiroth’s apartment, found a trunk beneath the side of the bed, unlike where Sephiroth stowed his under the end. 

Organizing the clothes and filling the trunk, Cloud pushed it back under the bed and looked around the room. It was weird that there was no actual closet, even hotel rooms had closets, which meant the apartments were incredibly cheap. Cloud did the dishes, inspected the bathroom, which looked fine other than some basic shower scrubbing, to which he couldn’t find the product necessary to do so. After that he went to organize the magazines, which the blonde tried to not be too nosy about, though a few auto magazines caught his eye, particularly a motorcycle one. He wanted one so bad and wondered if he’d ever actually get the chance to own one. The blonde wouldn’t want to buy new, he’d want to assemble it himself. It was his only real hobby, messing with cars and reading obsessively anything related to motorcycles. Thanks to that he’d helped out quite a few folks back in Nibelheim when their cars broke down. He couldn’t do anything really complicated changing alternators, but a lot of fixes in old cars were pretty simple. Forcing himself to not flip through the issues, he stacked them neatly on the bedroom side of the kitchen counter against the wall that extended from it by the balcony door.

Cloud took a break and sat at the square table shoved against the corner of the apartment passed the kitchen counter on the bedroom side by the sliding glass door like Sephiroth’s. Only two chairs fit thanks to that, but it seemed Zack had really been prioritizing space for equipment. Cloud gazed at the bench press and wrack of free weights. And though it could barely fit, there was a power cage set up to do squats and arm workouts in. The word squat made Cloud’s heart stutter a little as a slight heat filled his cheeks. Dammit. He needed to train more. To be useful in combat he would need strong thighs and back for a sturdy stance, and a strong core and strong arms for smooth, strong hits. He would also need to increase his flexibility so that he could move with more stability and better response time. 

With a sigh, the blonde stood up, located a rag which he wet with water, wrung out, and walked over to the equipment. There was some wear in the fake leather, and a crack here and there, showing its constant use. Cloud went to work wiping down the equipment, running his hands over the material to make sure he left it clean and dry before he returned to the kitchen, wet the cloth more, and wiped down all the counters. The apartment looked like an entirely new place. And perhaps one he could see himself living in, maybe with some choice add-ins. 

Cloud eyed the equipment. He was told he could use them. But should he wait? It would be unwise to use the bench press or the power cage, well, the squat functionality anyway without a spotter. After roughly fifteen minutes the blonde decided the free weights were safe, warmed up, stretched, and grabbed two twenty-five-pound weights. He wanted a weight which was light but heavy enough to put on some strain. He started with dumbbell bench presses on the floor, stood up to perform dumbbell Scaption, then bent over the bend-over row. Cloud worked through various other exercises including deadlifts until the muscles in his arms flexed and strained enough to warrant a short break where he also took the liberty to open the balcony sliding door. After that, he moved up to the thirty-five-pound dumbbells and resumed the same exercises. After another break, Cloud ended on forty. When he was done, his t-shirt stuck to him as sweat sucked his clothes to his body. Done for the time being, Cloud walked out onto the balcony, enjoying the whip of the wind cooling and drying him off. His muscles throbbed in a satisfying way, but he was far from actually being done. He still had his core to work out, and the dumbbells could help with that too. 

It was almost noon before a knock on the door drew Cloud to the peephole. Looking through he found one larger than life glowing blue eye staring at him before it shrunk significantly, revealing Zack’s beaming face. With a roll of his eyes, the blonde unlocked all the locks on the door. 

“Heeey~ How’s my bud, huh?” Zack asked as he walked in, patted Cloud’s sore shoulder, and stepped into his room before giving a hoot. “My place! I can see the floor again!” the First declared with a laugh and a motion of his around his space. The SOLDIER then spun on his heel, hands on his hips as he grinned at the blonde. 

“Looks like you weren’t shy about my equipment either,” Zack said and Cloud awkwardly directed his eyes to the equipment.

“Not everything. I didn’t use the power cage or bench press,” the blonde explained, drawing the First’s eyes to the items in question. Zack gave a pleased hum. 

“And right you were. You’ll need me to spot you if you wanna push yourself at all,” the First said before giving the blonde a wink. “And I bet that’s all you’re about, huh?” he asked. Cloud gave a solitary nod. 

“Well! Then how about we grab a light lunch so as not to upset any tummies, and come right on back here!” Zack said with a pat to his stomach. A small smile curved the blonde’s lips before he gave a single nod. With a laugh, the SOLDIER led the way back out the front door. The duo ended up at a small co-op grocery store buried in between a tech store and a restaurant. Zack let a curious Cloud lead them in where they discovered a deli and ordered a couple sandwiches, the blonde opting for a lettuce wrap so as to lighten the load on his stomach. With two flavored coconut bottled drinks the two were back in the First’s apartment, eating their meal. “What was your weight limit?” Zack asked while biting into his pastrami. Cloud glanced over at the weight wrack. 

“I didn’t really push for my limit exactly. But I increased until I hit forty,” the blonde explained and Zack nodded. 

“Ah, started light and increased the strain. Not bad, especially if you’re a bit out of shape,” the First said before grinning. “But forty is pretty damn impressive. You do not look like you’d be hitting forty unless it was to maybe to push your limit,” he added. Cloud gave a small nod. 

“Yeah, well, I’ve been trying to get stronger for years. Even before I joined, I was always trying to get stronger in preparation,” the blonde explained before his eyes fell to the table, his shoulders falling slightly though his hands still held ham wrap. “I really wanted to make SOLDIER. Even though I was a beta, I wanted to be the best of the best. I thought, maybe if I tried hard enough maybe I’d even make Second. Course, that’s unheard of, but I wanted to try.” Silence fell between the two as Zack watched the blonde slowly take another bite. A frown turned the First’s lips as his brows twisted up in dismay. 

“I’m sorry, buddy,” Zack said and Cloud shook his head. 

“It’s not your fault, so you shouldn’t apologize. My biology wasn’t what I thought it was, and then things went south really fast,” the blonde said and then paused. Should he tell Zack? Tell him about Hojo? Sephiroth said he trusted him, though clearly the General hadn’t told him anything, and it made the blonde wonder why. 

“Yeah, you never should have been put in that place. Mistakes like that should never happen,” Zack said and Cloud’s head whipped up, blue eyes fixed on his friend who looked at him curiously. They were friends, right? His lips parted, but no sound came out. Blinking a second, the blonde looked back down at the table. 

“What? Something on your mind?” Zack asked. It was the moment to make a choice. Cloud could say it or keep silent. But should he? Should he involve Zack? Would it be right to put such a heavy burden on him? Cloud frowned, his heart twisting into painful knots. “You know, you can tell me anything, right?” the First said as he leaned down on the table to try and see under blonde bangs to his friend’s face. The former cadet worried his bottom lip between his teeth before taking a breath. 

“No, it’s nothing,” Cloud said as he took another bite of his food and did his best to school his face. It was simply easier to say nothing. Zack leaned back in his chair, looking far from content with the blonde’s answer. 

“Well, you change your mind, I’m here for ya, okay?” Zack said. Cloud nodded. The two finished quickly that and after Cloud cleaned up the table they were at the equipment. 

“Well, let’s see your bench press. Give me a little stretch and warm-up,” Zack said and Cloud nodded as he did just that. After a couple minutes, he was on his back with Zack at the wall facing the head of the bench press.

“You were doing forty before. Let’s try 60 for now and see how you do,” the First said as he slid two thirty pound weights onto either side of the bar and lifted it to Cloud’s upward facing palms. Once the blonde’s fingers were securely wrapped around the bar, arms and elbows in correct positions, he was allowed to take the weight. His arms shook slightly from the position of the weights bearing down on him as he lowered carefully and then slowly lifted up in one rep. “Good! Let’s do one set of five,” Zack said as he followed the blonde’s arms with his eyes while keeping his hands ready to move. Cloud breathed in time with his exertion and release, lowering and pushing the weight in five smooth reps before allowing the First to take the weighted barbell from him. “Good job. Wanna do more sets or increase the weight? Bench presses are different from free weights so don’t think you can do the same thing,” Zack said and the blonde pouted up at him. The SOLDIER stared in confusion. 

“I’m not new to this, Zack. We did this in basic training, you know that,” Cloud said and Zack gawked a second, surprised to be told off before he gave an awkward grin and laugh as he rubbed his hand against the back of his head. 

“Oh, right. Sorry, not that I didn’t know that. I’ve never taught anyone before, so it’s really exciting, and I guess I overdid it,” Zack said, an awkward look taking over his features. Cloud averted his eyes in shame for a second. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so rude about it. Zack only meant well. 

“Sorry,” Cloud muttered. 

“It’s fine, bud. Let’s keep going. You wanna increase the weight or do more?” Zack asked, waving it all off. Resettling on his back Cloud lifted his arms. 

“I’ll do two sets of ten,” the blonde said and the First nodded as he grabbed the weight and carefully handed it off. By the time Cloud was finished his arms were quivering and he was once again sweaty. Even though he wanted to do more, the blonde was absolutely certain he had pushed it too hard and would be sore as hell the next day with what he had done. To push anymore could lead to muscle damage. Finished, the two moved to the power cage. 

“So, whatcha wanna do? I imagine your arms feel like noodles right now,” Zack said with a grin, and Cloud nodded. 

“Yeah. But, I thought I could do some squats. I think my legs are way too weak,” the blonde explained, fighting to not remember the General’s tease that morning. 

“Oh, yeah? Perfect for straightening the thighs. Hell, I do squats all the time, every spare moment. Gotta have strong foundations for sturdy houses, right?” Zack said with an excited grin as he moved behind the machine, his back to the wall and began to set up the barbell hooked into its brackets. Cloud’s face flushed a little as he got into position, back to Zack so that he looked out at the apartment space.

“Every spare moment?” Cloud asked, somewhat preparing to cringe as Zack slid in two ten pound disks on either side. 

“Yeah. When you do it enough, you can just, you know, do a squat. I do it when I’m excited or nervous too. Ended up becoming kind of an idle habit,” the First explained and Cloud worked to resist a groan. Now Sephiroth’s earlier comment clicked into place, and it was embarrassing. After the moment passed, the blonde was able to push the thoughts away, and Zack gave a triumphant laugh as he back around to the front, blocking the blonde’s view.

“All right! So, spread your legs, bend your knees, straighten your back, pull your shoulders back, and we’re ready to get started!” Zack said. Cloud couldn’t help the small smile that curved his lips as he got into position and the First further corrected his position. Head up, neck straight, chest forward, and to remind him that he should curve his spine as he went down, further helping to keep his hips pulling back so that his weight stayed straight down on his heels while he went down before straightening on the way up. Once fully in position, the weighted barbell was put in his hands and across his upper back. Cloud did one rep and received some minor correction before doing another. 

Once approved, the blonde did one set of ten. Finding it a little too easy, the weight was increased to thirty with fifteen on each side before doing more. Eventually, the burn really hit Cloud’s thighs while the blonde found himself working through the reps, pushing himself to do more than necessary to push his limit. Once done, he was relieved of his weight. After that, it was a cool down stretches with Zack showing him a couple new ones. After finishing his strawberry juice infused coconut water, the two headed back to the apartment Cloud shared with Sephiroth.

“You know, you’re pretty damn good. I can totally see that you were at the top of your class. You’ve got dedication and drive,” Zack said when they stepped into the elevator. Though it was still a touchy subject, Cloud gave a meek smile, glad to at least be recognized for his efforts. “So hey uh… you wanna try some sword practice? Not like what you got in basic training, like real sword practice. With real swords,” the First said and the blonde jerked his face to look at the SOLDIER’s smiling face. 

“Can I?” Cloud asked, an urgent gasp to his voice that made Zack chuckle. 

“Yeah! I mean, I’ll have to talk to Seph about it, cuz we can’t do it here. But, I’ll be with you, obviously. So maybe paranoid boy will let you be,” Zack said as they exited the elevator doors and turned into the hall. Cloud froze when he glanced down the hall, catching glimpse of a man in a suit huddled at his and Sephiroth’s door. Zack seemed to have noticed too since he had frozen in the middle of saying something. Cloud’s heart thrust hard against his rib cage, it was the same man as before, doing something to the doorknob. 

“Hey!” Cloud screamed, jolting the First out of his surprised stupor. The man looked back at them, a face mask covering the bottom of his face. The man turned and bolted down the hall and Cloud burst forward on a rush of adrenaline. “Stop!” Cloud called, racing after the man who sprinted down the hall and made a hard turn to the right. The blonde almost didn’t make the turn, and when he did, it was only to see the man dart into a closing elevator door. Cloud stomped forward, ready to still cahse, but a powerful grip on his shoulder shot alarms through his system and he jerked around to see Zack behind him. 

“Calm down, man. He’s gone,” the First said, his face tense and stern. 

“But it’s-”

“I know,” Zack cut in. “Super not good. Let’s go back, and I’ll call Seph,” he added. Cloud glanced back at the elevator lobby, face twisting in dismay and anger as he jerked from the sight and stepped back into the hallway with Zack at his side. The First pulled out his phone and made a call. 

“Hey, Seph. That guy was back at your door. No, he’s with me. Yeah. Cloud chased him off. Yeah. I was thinking that. Oh? Yeah, sure.” While Zack talked Cloud loosely wrapped his right hand around his upper left arm, looking at the floor while he lightly kicked the obnoxious red, black, and white carpet pattern like a pouting child. Suddenly a phone was in his face and the blonde took it before putting it to his ear. 

“You okay?” Sephiroth’s voice came over the line, and immediately any anxiety bled away, leaving only a mixed sensation of both relief and frustration. 

“Yeah,” Cloud answered. 

“You shouldn’t chase him. He could have snuck in a weapon and you could have been hurt,” Sephiroth said and the frustration suddenly flared into hot anger. 

“So, what am I supposed to do?” Cloud asked, brows twisting in his irritation. “I mean, Zack was here. I wouldn’t have done it if I’d been alone,” he added. 

“I know. But, we don’t know this man or what he is capable of. I am already shutting down my computer. I am coming home right now. Zack will stay with you until then,” Sephiroth said, his tone commanding. 

“Okay,” Cloud said, dejected. 

“I know you want to do something, Cloud. But we must plan our moves carefully. I’m certain that man is either from the science department or potentially a Turk. If he is a Turk, then it’s a really big problem,” Sephiroth explained while something rustled over the line. 

“What’s a Turk?” Cloud asked. There was a pause on the line as a door opened and closed. 

“We’ll discuss that when I get there. For now, just sit tight. We might go somewhere for a few days,” Sephiroth informed. Surprise hit the blonde then, pumping his blood faster.

“Away?” he asked. 

“Yes. I won’t say anymore on the phone. Never know who's listening,” the General said and Cloud gave a nod. 

“Okay. See you when you get here,” the blonde said. 

“I will be there in 15 minutes.”


	11. Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth and Cloud plan out some measures to deal with the growing threat at their door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments! ^_^ Thank you all so much! 
> 
> Sephiroth and Cloud plan to start making some moves and include Zack in their efforts.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

Cloud was sat at the table with Zack sitting by him. After about 10 minutes the First suddenly gave a gasp and shoved his hand into his pants pocket. 

“Almost Forgot with all this excitement,” the SOLDIER said as he produced a small clip filled with a few folded bills. “For you,” he said as he slid the clip over to the blonde. Cloud’s heart jumped a little as he picked up the clip and pulled the money out, awkward as he looked at it. 

“6000 gil?” Cloud said, gawking slightly. 

“Well, I wanted to make sure you were well compensated. You did a kick ass job today. So I thought 1500 gil an hour would be a good rate. Minimum wage is about 1200,” Zack said, and the blonde felt his cheeks heat a little as he stared at the money. It was kind of embarrassing, taking money like this, but it was the agreement. 

“Uh, wow. That’s really generous. Thanks a lot. I mean, as long as it’s not hard for you to pay,” Cloud said.

“Nah. I actually don’t spend much of my paycheck, and First Class pay is really good. So no problem. I’m just showin’ ya how much I appreciate what you’re doing. I know it’s just basically housekeeping, but I really need it,” Zack explained and the blonde gave a solitary nod, grateful for the First’s generosity. Not long later the door unlocked and in came Sephiroth after he closed and locked the door behind him. The General looked a little disheveled as he walked over to the table, eyes focused on the blonde. 

“Hey, Seph. You really rushed here,” Zack said in observation. The silverette gave him a nod before he leaned on the table before the blonde, his long hair tumbling over his shoulders. 

“Pack up some clothes. We’re leaving now,” the General said and Cloud stared, eyes growing wide in his surprise. 

“Wow, uh, isn’t this sudden? I mean, it’s only 2 o’clock,” Zack said. The silverette looked over at the First. 

“I’ve taken the rest of the day off. Which means you need to report in, Zackary,” the General said a look of horror came over the SOLDIER’s face. 

“What?!” he gasped. 

“I need to take care of this,” Sephiroth said before looking back at Cloud. “Are you willing to pack up and leave now?” he asked. After a beat Cloud nodded and went to the end of the bed and pulled out the trunk. 

“We’ll use the small suitcase in the trunk on my side. I’ll be adding in some clothes of mine, too,” Sephiroth said as the blonde opened the trunk and lifted the General’s clothes to reveal the small suitcase. Pulling it out, he took some underwear, shirts, socks, and his other pair of pants and put them in. 

“Seph, what it is that you guys aren’t telling me?” Zack asked, stalling the blonde’s hands and stopping Sephiroth from taking a knee by the blonde to grab some of his own clothing. Cloud’s throat went tight and dry as the silverette cast a glance down at his mate. After a moment, the General stood. 

“It’s complicated,” Sephiroth said and Zack stood up, crossed his arms over his stomach, and gave the silverette a stern look. 

“You two have been hiding something. You’re suddenly paranoid as hell Seph, and Cloud just clams up sometimes. And now you’re running around like you’re escaping a raid. I’m not stupid, you know. I know something is going on, and I wanna know. I mean, don’t you guys trust me?” Zack asked with a motion of his hands out to his sides. Sephiroth released a sigh and shook his head. 

“I’ll leave Cloud to decide,” the General said and the blonde looked up at his mate, then twisted to look at Zack. After a second, Cloud stood up, feeling a slight burn of stress in his head. He had to decide then and there, and it was not exactly something he was confident in. 

“Are you okay with it?” the blonde asked, drawing his mate’s eyes to his face, hoping in some way to have some aid. The two shared a brief look before the General heaved a sigh and sat down at the table. 

“I never said anything because I didn’t think it was my place to. That, and I hate having other people nosing into my business,” Sephiroth said. Cloud took in a deep breath and looked at Zack, who was giving him quite a disheartened look, which didn’t help. 

“That hurts, I mean, you guys can trust me,” Zack muttered, looking a little like a kicked puppy. 

“It’s not about trust,” Cloud said. “I just… I didn’t know if I should say something and involve you. It’s… kind of crazy,” the blonde said. Zack’s hands went to his hips and he gave the blonde an imploring look. 

“Look, we’re friends, right? You can tell me anything. I know you guys are a new bond, and Cloud and I haven’t known each other that long, but if there’s a problem, I wanna help,” the SOLDIER said. The blonde took in a breath and released it with a nod of his head. 

“Okay then, fine,” Cloud said. It was starting to feel too much, and too crazy, and keeping it a secret from Zack was becoming a burden. The blonde recounted his story from the very beginning, including bits he’d left out when he’d told Zack the first time, and also including the evidence Sephiroth had discovered. Zack listened intently, his eyes growing wide in shock before his mouth fell open in horror. When Cloud finished, Zack stood looking absolutely lost in shock.

“How… this is… I mean… after Angeal I knew that there was some really shady stuff, but… I almost can’t believe it, but I trust you guys to know what you’re talking about,” Zack said. Cloud turned back into the trunk, dug to the very bottom on his side, and pulled out the copy of his Omega Square form. 

“Sephiroth got a copy of my form from Omega Square,” the blonde said as he walked over with the paper held out. Zack took the form and stared at it. 

“Look at the second page,” the General said and the First curiously flipped the page. “See that blank space. It should never be left blank. But Cloud was never even allowed to flip to that page. And on the bottom among others is Hojo’s personal signature,” Sephiroth explained and Zack’s eyes shot open wide as his mouth fell open. The SOLDIER jerked his head at the silverette, his hands holding the papers like it was an object horror. Quickly, Cloud took the paper and lied it down in the bottom of the trunk before placing his clothes on top. Zack’s hands ran over his face and through his hair as a groan left his lips. 

“Oh, shit. That’s fucking crazy!” he gasped. 

“At least you can understand why I’m so... paranoid,” Sephiroth said and the other First nodded before dropping his hands at his sides. 

“Wow. Okay, well you guys just let me know if you need anything,” Zack said, to which the General gave a solitary nod. 

“Since we’re not going to be here for a couple days, perhaps you can help us out then,” the silverette said and the other SOLDIER perked up. 

“What? How?” Zack asked urgently. 

“Stay here. I’ll still be coming to work, so I can grant you the next few days off. I want to see if this mysterious man returns. Though, after being nearly caught he may stay away a while,” the General said as a thoughtful look came to his features. 

“What about me?” Cloud asked, drawing two sets of eyes to him. 

“Would staying in the hotel be too much to ask?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde averted his eyes from the silverette’s gaze as frustration bubbled to the surface of his face while he crossed his arms over his stomach. 

“I can do things too,” Cloud muttered. The General gave a small sigh. 

“What would you want to do? If you confront that man any number of things could happen. But, I did say that I would not stop you if you really want to do something. But I hope that you can consider simply staying in a hotel for a few days. Then we can talk about maybe returning and picking up where we left off,” the silverette said and the frustration and anger in Cloud bloomed hotter. It was so fucking unfair. But what was he supposed to counter with when he didn’t know what the hell to do? Sephiroth at least had ideas while the blond had not one clue other than trying to catch the guy himself. All of Cloud's thoughts centered on lying in wait, catching the guy, and interrogating him. But that was the one thing Sephiroth was entirely against. It would probably lead to a fight. Worse, Cloud knew he had no way of actually arguing in his own favor. The General was right, what if that guy had been armed with a taser, or some other weapon, or materia? Cloud would have been fucked if he’d had sleepel cast on him. All that guy needed was to be faster than Zack, though that was hard to imagine. He had probably been hoping Cloud would be alone in the apartment so that he could knock him out some way and take him if he was indeed with Hojo. If only Cloud was stronger; more confident. 

“Cloud?” the blonde broke away from his thoughts and focused on the present. Dejected, Cloud released a sigh and adjusted the spread of his feet. 

“I’ll stay in a hotel,” he muttered with reluctance. At least he’d have a TV to watch. It was so annoying. He finally had access to training equipment, and Zack had even offered to train him with the sword. Cloud had of course had basic training, but he wanted to learn more, to master the sword. In basic training guns and hand to hand were the focus since everyone was being prepared for either the security division or infantry. 

“Thank you, Cloud,” Sephiroth said as he stood up and then looked to Zack. “So, how does staying here for a few days sound?” he asked. 

“Uh… sure. I can do that,” Zack said. Sephiroth gave a single nod in satisfaction.

“Good. Then, Cloud, I’ll pack my clothes and we’ll leave for the night,” the silverette said. Cloud kept his eyes averted and head slightly downturn, and he wondered how long he could just sit around doing nothing before he exploded. 

~~~~

The hotel wasn’t much different from Sephiroth’s apartment, though it did lack a kitchen, and of course, had a closet as Cloud had expected it would. After the two put up their clothes, particularly the General’s suits, they sat on the end of the bed and stared at the TV. 

“Well, at least I get a TV,” Cloud muttered. Sephiroth glanced down to his left at his mate. 

“You’re frustrated with me,” the silverette said and the blonde heaved a sigh as he leaned forward, elbows on his thighs and chin in his palms. 

“It just sucks. I’ve been nothing but a damsel in distress ever since I met you. Pretty much ever since I became an omega really; like no one expects anything of me even though by myself I managed to overpower the orderlies and escape from Omega Square,” Cloud said, a disgruntled sigh following afterword. The General looked away and considered the blonde’s words a moment before giving a slight nod. 

“I suppose I can see why you think that. Though I think it has less to do with you being an omega, and more to do with the fact that you are a civilian now. You only went through basic training, which every civilian that is not an omega has gone through. So the skills are nothing particularly special, unfortunately. You have no weapons, no connections, and unfortunately, you have a dangerous enemy that has more resources and power than either of us. If weapons were allowed in the apartment I’d buy you a gun for protection. I really… can’t think of anything I can do to give you the ability to live exactly how you want to,” Sephiroth explained, probably speaking more right at that moment than he ever had at any one time, at least around the blonde. Cloud’s lips pursed in a pout as he sat up and leaned back on his hands. 

“I wish that you could still be a proper General, able to perform all your duties. I wish I could just work nine to five and come home to you every day. Then maybe I’d be able to deal with being an Omega better,” Cloud said. 

“If this were a perfect world,” Sephiroth muttered and the blonde gave a nod. A brief moment of silence fell between the two. 

“What are we going to do about that guy that keeps coming around?” Cloud asked. 

“I don’t know. I was thinking of getting a spy cam to attach to the door frame. Then I’d be able to get visual and maybe be able to find out his identity. And,” Sephiroth paused and looked back down at Cloud.

“Your hand to hand and knife training was rather good in your records. How do you feel about it yourself?” Sephiroth asked. The blonde looked up at his lover. 

“Pretty good. I want to train more in swords though,” Cloud said. The silverette gave a thoughtful nod. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m thinking of sneaking a combat knife into the apartment. The only real security are the cameras in the lobby and the guard. Which is why I’ll need to supply my own surveillance at the door. So, I could sneak in a combat knife for you to use should something happen,” Sephiroth said and Cloud leaned forward toward the General. 

“Would that help you relax?” the blonde asked. 

“A little. I’d feel more comfortable letting you roam between apartments at least. Though I think I’d rather you still be escorted. But should someone break in, you could at least defend yourself,” Sephiroth said. Eager, Cloud rest his hand on the General’s forearm. 

“I can do that,” the blonde declared, perhaps a little too eager, judging from the way the silverette’s lips quirked at the corners. 

“All right then. I’ll see about getting a suitable one tomorrow,” Sephiroth said. Relaxing, the blonde leaned back and stared at the TV a moment. 

“Well, I guess with nothing else to do, wanna watch TV?” Cloud asked after a brief moment before he stood up, walked over to where the remote sat on the stand the TV was on, grabbed it, and hit the power button. “We never just spend time together. So this will be new,” the blonde said as he sat down by the silverette’s side once again. 

“I’ve… never just been idle. Either I’m doing something or waiting to do something. And TV doesn’t interest me. So I’m… not sure what to do other than sleep,” Sephiroth admitted and Cloud had to resist frowning and staring at the man. Sephiroth was a total workaholic. No personal life, no time for leisure, just work and sleep. He had been hit with the notion that it was kind of sad before, but it was starting to feel depressing.

“I suppose if I had a book I could read,” the silverette said and a small laugh caught in the blonde’s throat before he twisted around, ignoring the commercial on the TV. 

“You’ve never actually watched TV, have you?” Cloud asked and Sephiroth shook his head. 

“You did notice that I have no TV,” the General reminded and the blonde couldn’t help the small quirk of his lips. 

“I never really got to see a lot of TV since the signal was bad in the mountains. The local pub that doubled as the only restaurant was the only place that had decent reception,” Cloud explained, feeling a slight burn touch his cheeks when he remembered exactly what he had always been so excited to see when he went there. News conferences, particularly ones about SOLDIER, and especially ones that featured the very man at his side. Cloud looked away, suddenly feeling awkward. But unlike Sephiroth, the blonde had always wanted to watch TV. Instead, all he had were kids movies that his mom bought to keep him out of trouble after school when she was working. 

“There is one thing we could do to pass the time, since neither of us are big conversationalists,” Sephiroth suddenly said, which was accompanied by a brush of fingers against Cloud’s right cheek. Butterflies erupted in the blonde’s stomach as his face warmed a little. Cloud looked at the General from out the corner of his eyes, and the sensual curve of those lips spoke just as much as his tone of voice. The blonde swallowed as his heart fluttered in excitement. They’d only had sex just that morning. But there was no denying that the proposition was tempting. Any chance to touched and held by Sephiroth was appetizing. It was a little embarrassing, going from virgin just a few days ago to what felt like a sex addict. 

As much as Cloud wanted to get to know Sephiroth more, he was starting to get the feeling that the General was a slow read, complicated and mysterious. Only time would allow him to fully understand everything the man had to offer, and it was both exhilarating and frustrating. But then again, who said you needed to know every little thing about your bond? They were stuck, and they’d have their whole lives to get to know each other. As long as Sephiroth didn’t turn out to secretly be a serial killer Cloud had a hard time believing that there was anything pertinent to know, though a solid answer on having a family would be nice, and why the silverette didn’t initially like the idea of reproducing. After all, if Cloud was pregnant, something he didn’t even want to think about at the moment, they’d be faced with a life changing situation. The blonde looked at mate again and placed his hand over the General’s fingers against his cheek. 

“What will you do, if I am pregnant?” Cloud asked and the silverette’s fingers curled around his own. 

“Become a father. Though I have no idea if I’m qualified for the job,” Sephiroth said softly. A soft smile curved the blonde’s lips. 

“I think you’d do fine,” Cloud said. The General’s lips twitched as if the smile had faltered a second. 

“As long as it’s normal. With any luck, it’d take more after you than me.” Sephiroth’s words made Cloud’s heart ache a little.


	12. Compatible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Sephiroth start to more emotionally express themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for all the comments and kudos! ^_^ Thank you! I hope you all like this chapter as well~
> 
> Sephiroth and Cloud realize just how well they fit together.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

Lips met softly as they pressed and molded against one another before Cloud angled his head while sitting up on his knees on the end of the bed, cock growing hard against his boxers. Knees on either side of Sephiroth’s lap, the blonde pressed his right hand against the white dress shirt of his mate’s suit and the General allowed himself to sink down onto his back slowly. The scent of arousal spiked through the air, invading every pore of the two men, enticing their lips to grow more hungry as their hearts began to pound. Eyes slid closed as tongues slipped free to meet before Cloud pushed his tongue forward into the silverette’s mouth with more confidence than times past. Sephiroth’s hands slid up the blonde’s side; sliding beneath the black t-shirt long fingers stroked up the blonde’s sides as their jaws ground softly together while tongues slipped and curled together in a warm, wet dance. Cloud broke lips and bright blue eyes slid open, meeting and holding the glowing mako green of the General’s gaze. 

“It’s weird. I always feel right when you’re around. Even when we fight, it always seems to resolve itself and fade away like a dream,” Cloud said, his voice a soft whisper. A smile returned to the General’s lips as he lifted his right hand and cupped his lover’s cheek. 

“We’re very compatible,” the silverette said as Cloud leaned into the touch. 

“Is it the bond that causes it?” the blonde asked. Sephiroth shook his head, his long hair shifting around his head on the bed, hallowing him like streams of silver ribbons. 

“No. Being bonded does not mean a pair will like each other. It’s probably the worst sort of fate out there for pairs who do not get along. I’ve heard stories from alphas at work who bonded while drunk. One man, in particular, complained almost daily about his fights with his omega, about how much they hated each other but were stuck together,” the General explained as Cloud watched him, idolizing silently the beauty of the man he was lucky enough to bond to. Even if he hadn’t wanted to, bonding with Sephiroth was probably the best outcome for such a terrible situation. The blonde closed his eyes and pressed his hand over the silverette’s on his cheek. 

“That’s great then. It means this is all real,” Cloud said and Sephiroth gave a small nod before his left hand slid up and cupped the other side of the blonde’s face. Blue eyes opened and their gazes locked as the General leaned up and kissed his bond’s supple pink lips.

“Yes. We get along better than I ever could have even imagined. I already can’t imagine coming home to an empty space. It would simply feel wrong,” Sephiroth said a low, whispery voice that made Cloud’s cheeks burn a little as his heart fluttered. 

“That’s cheesy,” Cloud muttered while trying to fight a smile and a rumbling chuckle escaped the General. 

“Perhaps. I’m not gifted with words, unfortunately. So you’ll have to make due,” Sephiroth said and an embarrassed finally broke across the blonde’s face as a small laugh came from his chest. 

“Better than me. I could never string together a coherent sentence in school. I always bombed every oral report,” Cloud informed and a chuckle came from Sephiroth. The blonde leaned down then and kissed the silverette’s lips before he lay down on top of him, his swollen cock pressed between their bodies while the General’s nudged his thigh. 

“I can smell your arousal, Cloud,” Sephiroth said and Cloud felt his cheeks burn again as he took in a deep breath through the nose, feeling the delightful electrical hum all through his body as his mate’s scent smothered his senses and encircled his body.

“You too,” Cloud countered as Sephiroth’s hands slid down the blonde’s back and grabbed his ass, giving the sore muscles a squeeze which drew a grunt from the blonde. 

“Sore,” the blonde muttered and a smile spread the General’s lips. 

“I see. You were hard at work today, weren’t you?” the silverette asked and Cloud lifted up on his hands before pouting down at the General. 

“You have to tease me about that?” Cloud asked. The smile he got in response almost took the blonde’s breath away; even his heart felt like it had stopped a moment. It was odd, he had seen the man smile a decent amount when they were alone together, but it was the first time it actually made his eyes look like they were lighter, brighter, like there was a sparkle there. 

“You are so cute when I tease you, it makes me want to,” Sephiroth said with another, though more gentle squeeze to the globes of Cloud’s ass. The blonde shook his head and lay back down before giving the General a kiss. 

“Jerk,” Cloud said against the silverette’s lips, earning the feel of a rumbling chuckle in the General’s chest while his breath puffed against his face. 

“I’ve been called a sadist before, perhaps it’s true then,” Sephiroth whispered against Cloud’s lips, filling the blonde’s nose with waves of his scent. The blonde pressed his mouth over the General’s to stop him from saying anything more. Hands went into immediate action then as mouths opened and tongues slipped together while fingers felt and brushed over clothes. After a moment of tonguing, Sephiroth’s hands slid beneath the blonde’s dark shirt and yanked while the blonde worked the buttons of the General’s wrinkling suit free. Cloud sat up after a second and lifted his arms to allow the shirt to come off over his head before resuming the removal of Sephiroth’s vest coat. Clothes were quickly shed, leaving the two nude, pants and other articles of clothing discarded to the floor and far sides of the Queen sized bed. Cloud sat up on spread knees again where his lover had full hold of his waist, kissing his stomach while delighting in the way the muscles twitched beneath his lips. Cloud’s hands threaded through Sephiroth’s hair, drawing a pair of elegant eyes up to his face, slit pupils blown wide in excitement before the blonde sank down and their mouths sealed together in a deep kiss before breaking apart after a moment.

“You’re beautiful, Cloud,” Sephiroth muttered in quickened breaths, which darkened the blonde’s cheeks again. 

“You don’t look in the mirror enough,” Cloud muttered in between small pants. A single laugh escaped from the General’s throat. 

“What position would you like?” Sephiroth asked. 

“I dunno. I’m sore though, so maybe something easy,” the blonde said. A single nod came from the silverette. 

“Then how about you lay on your stomach,” Sephiroth offered and though Cloud felt his heart rate accelerate, he nodded as he climbed out the General’s lap and laid down with his arms crossed beneath the pillows and head resting down. 

The bed moved and shook with the General’s movements before the sound a wrapper was heard. Knowing exactly what it signified a pulse of arousal filled Cloud as his cock throbbed from where it pressed against his abdomen as his ass wet. The bed wobbled again before dipping down around him. Hair tickled down Cloud’s back as the smell of his mate heavily saturated his senses once more with his close proximity. Breath puffed against Cloud’s neck and a shudder ran down the blonde’s spine as his skin tingled in excitement. Lips pressed to the left side of his neck, right over his bite mark and a shot of electricity jolted the blonde’s heart and brain as a low groan of pleasure oozed from his closed mouth while intimate sparks of pleasure flooded his senses. Though he flushed in embarrassment as his cock throbbed worse and his ass suddenly grew more wet Cloud couldn’t help baring the side of his neck more. Sephiroth’s lips kissed and tongue roved over the mark, sending rolling waves of pleasure through Cloud’s body, numbing his brain and lighting a desperate fire all throughout his nervous system. 

“Se-,” Cloud bit back a gasp when a light tap of teeth touched the scar and a rumbling purr of a chuckle hit his ear when the General’s mouth left his neck. 

“I’d heard bond marks were sensitive, seems it’s true,” Sephiroth whispered low and heady against the blonde’s ear before his tongue slipped against the lobe, sending a smaller, but still surprising jolt of pleasure straight into Cloud’s brain, killing his attempts at coherent thought. His cock was starting to really ache, and there was a powerful throb in his ass, deep inside that he needed to have touched, and the notion that he couldn’t wait much longer started to gather strength. The General’s large hands slid down the blonde’s sides, the rough texture of his calloused hands sparking even more sensitive pulses of pleasure across Cloud’s flesh as lips kissed down along his spine. Though he tried to fight it the pressure gathering in his throat, the sounds his body wanted to make built up stronger until the blonde could not stop his lips from parting to release low groans of pleasure. It was like every caress, every touch of lips dazzled his nerves with intimate pleasure to the point that he could no contain himself.

Sephiroth’s smell, definitively male and musky thickened, drowning the blonde in a strange, but familiar euphoric pleasure as the smell, feel, and taste, of his mate dominated all his senses. The heavy scent of the silverette’s arousal only made Cloud’s pulse hotter as his body began to twitch in want. Sephiroth’s hair slid across and down Cloud’s back, delighting and tickling across sensitized flesh as those lips continued to move lower and lower until he reached the cleft of the blonde’s ass. A hum reached Cloud’s ears as a single finger slid in between the globes of flesh and touched the wet, puckered ring of muscles. A gasp hit the back of the blonde’s throat, all too sensitive as his cock ached in demand, trapped and drooling against his belly and bedspread while the wetness of his ass dribbled down his balls. 

“Please, don’t tease,” Cloud grunted as his hips twitched, wanting to push that finger deep inside to stimulate that throbbing, ache spot. But the blonde was torn, wanting to touch his cock was also overpowering in its growing urgency. 

“All you ever do is accuse me of teasing you lately,” Sephiroth said, his voice a low, lustful purr. “Perhaps you are just too impatient,” he added and the blonde gave a soft groan. 

“Please,” Cloud muttered as he pushed his face into the pillow in front of him. Sephiroth’s hands seized the blonde’s hips then and pulled. Cloud’s heart suddenly surged faster in his chest as he bent his back and lifted his ass into the air under the wordless direction. His cock hung between his legs, swollen and leaking, and the blonde couldn’t help wishing that his mate would just touch him in both places already. 

“Did you know that omega males have different physiology than beta and alpha males?” Sephiroth suddenly said as he hands slid to the globes of the blonde’s ass and grabbed a handful of flesh in each palm. “Naturally there is the intestinal tract and anal canal, this all living creatures possess in some form. But in omegas, there is another canal. Though it shares the same entrance back here, your intestinal tract is completely closed off, sealed tight unless you have need of it,” the General said as he spread the globes of flesh apart and an unexpected gasp escaped the blonde as he jerked his head up, face suddenly burning hot. “The rest of the time, this other canal is open and receptive, waiting to be filled with cock. It’s from this, that you are able to be impregnated as it leads to your uterus and consequentially, your storage of eggs,” Sephiroth explained as he placed a kiss to each cheek and Cloud’s world swam as his breath scraped from his throat. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing or feeling, and as a result, couldn’t stop clenching the muscles of his hole. 

“Because this back here is shared, omega bodies are very adept at keeping this area clean,” the silverette explained and Cloud’s back muscles twitched when a finger brushed over his soaking wet hole. 

“Wh-what are you saying all this for?” the blonde panted as he lifted up onto his elbows and twisted his head a little to try and see the General. 

“It’s just amazing is all. I never really gave it much thought until now,” Sephiroth said as he removed his right hand and Cloud grunted when a strong finger broke apart the slick muscles and slid inside with ease. “You’re soaking wet, Cloud,” the silverette purred as he slid his finger deeper, searching out. A shock of pleasure jolted the blonde’s body when his prostate was found and rubbed, drawing forth a breathless groan from Cloud before he rocked backward a little unconsciously, his cock dribbling pre-cum in its growing hunger.

“Please, just do it,” Cloud panted, face flushed hot and back twitching as the silverette pumped his finger in and out of the splayed hole, making sure to rub against that sweet spot that made Cloud’s vision swim before adding a second finger. A groan oozed out from the back of the blonde’s throat as his head fell down, the muscles of his hole clenching around the penetrating digits. 

“Please do… what?” Sephiroth asked. Frustration welled up in the blonde. 

“You really are a sadist,” Cloud panted in a grunt and thrust backward hard in defiance, which shoved those long, strong fingers hard against his sweet spot. Immediately a gasp caught in the blonde’s throat when his back stiffened.

“Your impatience is adorable. If you ask me nicely, I will give you exactly what you want. Otherwise, I think I’ll take my time,” Sephiroth said, and the blonde could hear the smirk in his mate’s voice which he surely wore. Cloud remembered that the General had been like this once before when he had demanded Cloud tell him how good it felt being fucked. The blonde felt his entire head burn hot. He had been able to escape last time, but it probably wasn’t going to happen this time. Sephiroth was too in control, which wasn’t fair. 

“I want to lavish you, Cloud. I want every inch of you to be mine,” the General said and Cloud groaned, his cock absolutely aching as his hole wet more around the fingers inside him. Sephiroth resumed pumping the digits inside, rubbing and stroking that sweet spot that made the base of the blonde’s spine want to jerk and snap as his balls drew up and his cock gave warming throbs, he was going to end up cumming before even getting to feel his mate’s cock. But a part of Cloud didn’t want to give in, didn’t want to make it so easy. Dammit, he had asked for something easy, not to be tormented like this. 

“Please, Sephiroth. Just do it already,” Cloud said with reluctance. 

“Do… what?” Sephiroth asked, clearly intent on keeping his little game going. The blonde bit his bottom lip. 

“Fuck me,” he muttered when he released his lip, his voice falling into an awkward mutter. 

“Hm?” 

“Just... just fuck me!” Cloud gasped and the silverette chuckled. 

“All right, all right. I’ll give you exactly what you want,” Sephiroth said in a sultry purr as the weight on the mattress between Cloud’s spread knees increased with the General moving up against him. The feeling of the silverette’s cock brushing against the valley of his ass drew forth as powerful shudder through the blonde’s muscles as he wet and throbbed more in excitement. One hand gripped the blonde’s hip and Cloud took in a breath when he felt the General’s dick slide down and press against his hole. 

“I’m going to fill you up now,” the silverette said in a low, rough voice and the weight that pressed at his hole stole Cloud’s breath for a moment as the muscles broke apart and flowered open around Sephiroth’s cock while he pushed in slow and steady. Cloud panted, his heart hammering like mad as his insides stretched and filled with a large heavy weight, stroking through him as he opened up wide around the man behind him. A spasm hit the blonde’s back when the General’s dick rubbed tight against his prostate and his shoulders almost dropped the blonde as his hips twitched against the silverette. A soft grunt issued from the silverette when the blonde’s hole clenched around him a moment before he continued to slide in deeper until his hips pressed against the round of Cloud’s ass. 

“So, tight,” Sephiroth whispered in a strained, panted breath. 

“S-hm,” Cloud grunted before biting down on the inside of his lips to shut himself up. It felt so good, having his mate connected to him, saturating him in his smell, his sweat, his everything. 

“I’ll start gentle,” Sephiroth informed before giving the most tortuous, shallow of thrusts. It barely even counted in Cloud’s opinion with the meager pumping of cock. Cloud sat up fully on his hands, his body slightly bumping while the silverette’s dick slowly started to pull out further and slide back in a firm trust that choked a gasp out of the blonde. Sweat built up on Cloud’s flesh as the fever of lust and pleasure built up higher with each backward slide and forward thrust of cock against his prostate, bringing his body to a fully sensitive, thrumming state. Finally, Sephiroth pulled back until just the tip of his cock remained and then gave a strong forward push, and a moan broke from the blonde as his body slid forward before settling back on his knees with the backward pull of the silverette’s dick. 

Pleasure blared hot through Cloud’s senses as the thrusts continued in measured tempo against his sweet spot. Both of his mate’s hands now had hold of his hips as the blonde braced himself on shaking arms to keep from falling over as the cock rubbing into his body grew in force and tempo. Fuck, it really felt too good, every single time that spot deep inside was rubbed hard against. Pants began to break apart into short moans from the General as his hips increased in speed as his cock pistoned into his mate’s spread, pliant hole, pulling him in with audible sounds of sucking wet accompanied by the sound of their skin slapping together. Flushed in pleasure, Sephiroth’s pupil blown gaze zeroed in on where his cock slid graphically into the blonde’s trembling, clenching hole as the blonde’s slender figure rolled forward and back with the thrusts of his hips while open-mouthed moans spilled from his bond’s mouth without impediment. 

“Cloud,” Sephiroth panted, his voice a rough, breathy moan as his fingers dug into the bone of the blonde’s narrow hip. He leaned back, pulling Cloud harder onto his cock, which tore a breathless cry from the blonde as his back arched up hard and the tight muscles around the silverette’s cock twitched deliciously. 

“Tell me, does it feel good?” the General panted and a breathless moan echoed from the blonde’s mouth as his hands worked to keep himself upright while his cock swayed between his thighs and drooled in crude pleasure. Eyes squeezed tight and faced heavily flushed, sweat slid down the blonde’s body, matching the General’s sweat glittered skin. 

“N-”

“No?” Sephiroth cut in, and Cloud gasped a moan when his cock gave a heavy shot of pre-cum when the silverette’s rubbed particularly hard against his prostate. Cloud groaned, unable to think, unable to even comprehend any such words were spoken. Each hard slide against his sweet spot shot dangerous tidal waves of pleasure all through his body, and his cock was absolutely aching in desperation. He needed to cum, he was so close, and the faster the silverette shoved his cock into him the stronger, more incessant, the more intense the shocks of pleasure ripped through him. He wasn’t even going to need to be touched, he was going to blow all over the bed.

“C-” Cloud choked. “Gonna cum!” the blonde finally gasped out, and the blonde could swear that Sephiroth’s cock suddenly felt a little bigger as the grip on his hips tightened right before the General’s cock rubbed into him in an absolute frenzy as loud, desperate groans of pleasure hit the blonde’s ears. The sharp uptick in the tightly rubbing friction of Sephiroth’s cock frayed any stable substance in the blonde’s body and mind as orgasm stormed through his body, tumultuous as every muscle wound tight and cum spurted from the tip of his dripping cock and onto the bedding. Sephiroth hissed when the blonde’s hole clamped down on him, massaging him powerful twitches as he shoved himself in as deep into his mate as he could and huddled over, cum shooting heavily into his condom. Both remained tense for a long second before slowly, muscles unwound and relaxed, allowing them to pull in much needed air before they lazily flopped onto the mattress. 

After the General settled onto his back, the blonde moved over, limbs shaky as he laid his head down upon his bond’s chest and closed his eyes. Both sagged then, finally still and unwilling to move. However, after the minutes of pleasant silence ticked by and the sweat dried from their bodies, Sephiroth maneuvered his arms to take off the condom and tied the top before tossing it to the waste bin somewhere by the bed. He probably missed but couldn’t will himself to care at the moment.

“Do you think, I should go on suppressants?” Cloud asked. A hum was his response from the silverette when he allowed himself to go slack again. “A lot of omegas don’t get pregnant on it, right?” he asked. 

“It’s roughly 50/50,” Sephiroth drawled lazily as he closed his eyes, slid his right arm around the blonde, and rubbed his back. “I’d still have to wear a condom since we wouldn’t know until potentially too late,” he added. 

“Hm… it would lessen my heat symptoms, right?” Cloud asked. 

“Yes, it does lessen heat symptoms. But,” the silverette took in a deep, relaxing breath and released it. “So does having sex. Bonded omegas usually experience much lighter heats due to regular sexual encounters. Un-bonded omegas, who are less likely to have sex, tend to have much more severe heats, I guess you could say due to lack of sexual release, though that might not be the scientific explanation,” the General explained. Cloud frowned, his brows drawing together in annoyance. 

“So basically, there’s no point for bonded omegas to be on suppressants,” the blonde grunted. 

“Pretty much. The large bulk of omegas on suppressants are un-bonded. It helps protect against pregnancy for those it works for and also helps protect them from stray alphas succumbing to their heat scent and attacking them. Bonded omegas who have regular sex also emit a weaker heat scent, which also covers that issue,” Sephiroth explained. 

“So basically, since I have you, I don’t need any pills,” Cloud said and the silverette gave a lazy, meager nod. Blue eyes slid open and looked up at his mate’s relaxed face. 

“Yes,” Sephiroth said, his deep voice softly filling the air. A gentle smile curved the blonde’s lips as he sat up on his hands and kissed the silverette’s cheek. In response, cat-like eyes slid open and looked at him. 

“I really did get lucky,” Cloud said and a smile curved the General’s lips. 

“We both did. You could have gone down the path of hating me for how we met, and for how I marked you. It was what I honestly expected, especially with your initial despondency,” Sephiroth said as his hand slid up the blonde’s back and touched his cheek. “I’m glad that you don’t hate me.” Cloud smiled.

“Me too. I was worried this was going to be hell. But the only problem here is ShinRa,” the blonde said and Sephiroth nodded.

“Let’s leave ShinRa to tomorrow,” the General suggested and Cloud nodded before the two shared a brief, chaste peck of lips. 

“Well, want to find some food? I’m hungry,” Sephiroth said and a small chuckle left Cloud as sat up, surprised to find it took some effort to do as his muscles trembled and protested the actions due to soreness and plain exhaustion. 

“Delivery?” Cloud asked as Sephiroth sat up and climbed to the end of the bed before leaning off the edge to grab for his slacks.

“Yeah. I’m not going anywhere,” the silverette said as he sat back up with his phone in hand and rest against the thick, sturdy headboard. 

“Me neither,” the blonde affirmed as he scooted over by the General and sat next to him after shoving pillows out of the way.


	13. Lose Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an upsetting dream, the pair encounter some friction before things take an unexpected turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you all for the comments and kudos! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as well!
> 
> Sephiroth and Cloud had a bit of a rough morning, only made worse by events elsewhere.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

After an order of pizza, the two lay on the bed, watching TV. Sephiroth it seemed really hadn’t watched much TV and didn’t have considerable interest in any programs Cloud flipped through. But with full stomachs and still tired from their earlier activities, Cloud in particular, the two drifted to sleep early in the evening.

~~~

“So, blondie feel like socializing amongst us lowlifes now?” the same brunette that had harassed Cloud on day one asked when the blonde walked into the recreation area. Cloud gave him a glare as he walked past him toward a small bookcase to peruse the books. The TV was constantly occupied and the blonde wasn’t social enough, or desperate enough, to share a couch and watch whatever was already on. On top of that, his mood was incredibly sour after four days of lock-up. 

“So, how are you this fine morning?” the sound of the brunette’s voice at his right side made the blonde’s anger flare a second before he tempered himself and continued to ignore him. 

“Ah, the silent treatment, huh? Think that’ll make you friends here?” the brunette asked as he moved so close to Cloud that he opted to take a step to the side away. 

“Why are you such a dick?” Cloud asked. 

“Well now, finally some words! Thought you lost your voice,” the brunette said. Irritated, the blonde turned away and walked from the bookcase. 

“You’re one buff omega. Tall too. Say, I heard you’re a late bloomer. Tell me, did you eat lots of cock while you were in basic training?” Cloud froze, muscles tightening in anger as his jaw clenched. The blonde squeezed his eyes shut as rage smoked hot in his chest; after taking a deep breath through the nose and ignoring all the eyes on him, he started walking again. 

“I bet you were everybody’s favorite sock!” the brunette shouted while Cloud walked into his room before he slammed his heavy door shut. 

The following morning was met with a similar foul-mouthed, sexually crude verbal assault from the brunette. It was clear that among all the omegas there, the loud-mouthed brunette was top dog. And he liked flaunting his ability to push people around.

“Hey there, hey, want to put that pretty mouth to use? You learn how to do it good in the military?” 

“What’s it like, is the whole, don’t drop the soap work in the military too?”

“You know that when you’re here, you’re gonna get your ass shoved with a turkey baster and pumped full of ShinRa cum, right?”

And Cloud just couldn’t handle it anymore. The brunette was hot on his heels, clearly enjoying the nasty things he said as he chased the blonde out of the room, like a cock protecting his chickens. Cloud’s hands tightened into fists and he stopped, shoulders tense. 

“Oh? You got something to say? Gonna answer all my burning questions?” the brunette asked, a smirk in his voice. 

“Shut-up!” Cloud snarled, shocking the room and drawing the attention of the orderlies that had put to watch the doors after the blonde’s attempt to force himself through. 

“Oh, wow. Some balls. Not that an omega really needs any. Maybe it’s that late-” Cloud’s fist connected with the brunette’s jaw when his heel spin finished. The brunette topped backward like he’d been nothing but a twig. The orderlies shouted and Cloud’s arms were grabbed and pinned behind his head by one while the other rushed to the aid of the fallen brunette. 

“Shut your mouth! Just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean you get to make everyone else feel the same way!” Cloud shouted, rage coursing hot through his veins as he was jerked by the man behind him and forced to walk back to his cell. Once inside, the door was slammed shut and locked. Cloud spent the rest of his day locked up in his room. But the following morning, the blonde woke to find his door open. After pills and breakfast, he squared his shoulders and walked out into the recreation area, ready for a nother fight even if it meant more trouble. Even though Cloud doubted what the woman told him was true, they’d have to do something with him if he kept fighting with the other omegas, and maybe it’d spare him from whatever was planned for him.

He would not be bullied anymore. He couldn’t do anything about ShinRa, but he could do something about that mouthy brunette. When he walked into the center of the recreation area the brunette, his bully, was sat at one of the tables with a puzzle in front of him. Cloud walked across the room, intent on going for the bookcase, and when he reached his destination, he stopped and started to look over the titles. After a few minutes the blonde found a fantasy novel and took it in hand. 

“It’s a pretty good one,” the sound of the brunette’s voice made the blonde freeze, but the soft, low mumble made Cloud look to the table. The brunette hadn’t turned around, he wasn’t even looking at the blonde. Cloud debated on not saying anything, but realizing he shouldn’t be a dick in return, spoke. 

“You read it?” he asked. 

“Yeah. A few times. Before my parents put me in here, I used to read a lot from that author,” the brunette said, his voice soft. Cloud paused and stared at the brunette’s back for a long moment before he decided to walk over and sit in a chair across from him at the table. The bruise on his jaw was colorful and looked quite painful. 

“Do we get to request books?” Cloud asked, and the brunette looked up at him from his puzzle. 

“I wish. Life would be a million times better here,” the brunette said. They held eyes for a moment and then, to the blonde’s surprise, the other young man’s hand reached across the table in the gesture of a handshake. 

“I’m Dave. I’ve been here since I went into my first heat at fourteen and my parents dumped me here. I just turned eighteen a few months ago,” he said, and slowly, Cloud reached out his own hand and shook Dave’s. Sympathy filled the blonde’s heart as such news, he couldn’t imagine what it felt like to be thrown into omega square so young. And perhaps, maybe because his parents didn’t want an omega child. 

“Not everyone ends up here like me. Most everyone chose it, you can ask around if you want and you’ll pretty much hear the same thing. Omega Square really isn’t that bad, if you don’t mind being a guinea pig for the scientists and having babies,” the brunette explained as he went back to his puzzle. Dave was apparently a bit of a cliché bully. No apology ever came from Dave, but after that, the two exchanged cordial greetings and would sometimes spend time together reading or playing cards. They were playing poker in Cloud’s room when the brunette one day said something that made the blonde’s heart almost stop. 

“Hey. They really are going to impregnate you soon. Me too. It’s what happens here, and probably other really shady stuff. You still want to escape, don’t you?”

~~~

Cloud woke to the warmth of a long body wrapped around him. An arm under his head, the other draped loosely over his side. Legs were tangled as a strong heat radiated against his back. Soft breath puffed against the nape of his neck while the familiar scent of body and sweat saturated his senses, all screaming in instinctual, pleasurable recognition of the man that rest at his backside. Sephiroth was still asleep judging from the way his breath puffed soft and even with all limbs completely lax. A warm hum filled the blonde’s body as the vestiges of dreamed memory slipped away, replaced by the presence of his mate. 

He hadn’t thought about Dave much since he’d gotten tangled up with the General, though as much as he would like to think he just hadn’t had the time, Cloud realized he may have not wanted to. Even though Dave had told him to leave him behind and run, the guilt that wrapped around Cloud's heart made the blonde question if it was right for him to sit around being doted on by his bond and protected. Dave was no doubt back in Omega Square, probably had been locked up, and that was the least of all the things they’d do. What if something terrible had happened to him? A terrible rush of stress washed over the blonde, triggering an overflow of adrenaline. Unable to stand staying still Cloud slowly sat up, Sephiroth’s arm slipping off of him as the silverette stirred awake. 

“Cloud?” Came the groggy question as the blonde easily pulled his legs free, sat up on the edge of the bed, and put his feet to the floor.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Cloud informed as he stood up, immediately feeling a strong pull of protest in his sore muscles. He had been nothing but selfish ever since he’d gotten away. Training, demanding freedom, demanding attention, demanding all the things Dave no doubt didn’t have.

“Are you alright?” Sephiroth asked as he sat up while the blonde made his way to the bathroom door. 

“I’m fine. Just don’t think I can lie down anymore,” Cloud said. He could rationalize it away if he wanted to. Dave had decided to join in the escape attempt by himself. He knew the risks. He knew that he could be caught, that they both could have been caught. But in that same breath, Cloud knew that it had been Dave’s idea. He had laid the groundwork. It was thanks to his intel that they were able to coordinate their escape to make it possible. If only he could see him again, just to make sure he was safe. But, wouldn’t that be cruel? He was still in prison and the blonde was free. Once naked and inside the shower, the warm spray of the water soaked Cloud's hair until it pressed flat to his skull. It was dumb to even think he could break the brunette free. There was just no way he could, it was dangerous for him to go anywhere near ShinRa corporate.

The shower curtain pulled open and Cloud looked over to see Sephiroth step in. The silverette took over the back of the shower and pulled the curtain closed before giving the blonde a small smile. 

“I need to shower for work,” the General said and Cloud gave a wordless nod before he lifted his right hand to angle the shower head. Arms wrapped around his torso and the blonde froze when Sephiroth’s head dipped down against his own. 

“What’s wrong?” the silverette asked in a soft voice. Cloud’s throat tightened and he swallowed past the lump in his throat where he stood, unsure if he wanted to speak about it. “If something’s wrong, you should tell me. I’m not sure what has you so upset all of the sudden, but I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me about it,” Sephiroth added. Lowering his hand, Cloud placed it over where the silverette’s hands linked around his waist. 

“You can’t fix it,” the blonde said. Silence fell between the two, growing thick and uncomfortable. 

“If it’s something I did-”

“It’s not you,” Cloud cut in before taking in a deep breath and releasing a heavy sigh. “It has nothing to do with you. I’m sorry for sounding like a dick. I just… I was dreaming about Omega Square again. And I remembered that I left someone behind, and it really eats at me,” the blonde explained. “We didn’t initially get along, but we grew pretty close, as close as we could for the short time I was there, anyway. It’s thanks to him that I was even able to make the attempt at getting free. He was there with me. But he got caught,” Cloud paused to collect his thoughts. “He told me to run. He told me not to give up. And even though it felt shitty, I ran. I didn’t want to let the chance slip by. And I feel… really bad about it. He’s back there, trapped while I’m out here with you,” he finished and Sephiroth’s arms pulled the blonde backward until their bodies bumped together. 

“I’m sorry that I can’t do anything about it,” the General whispered, his breath tickling Cloud’s ear. 

“It’s not your fault. It’s fucking ShinRa. It’s not like you can break him out any more than you can stop everyone after me,” the blonde said in a low, soft voice as he turned his head and placed a kiss to the General’s cheek. 

“I wish I were more capable. All I can do is kill,” Sephiroth said, his voice heavy and thick with self-loathing. Cloud paused, surprised by the sudden darkness coming from his mate.

“No, don’t be like that. We already talked about this sort of thing, right? You should try not to think so negatively about yourself, not that I’m a shining example of that. We just gotta figure things out as we go, and I know you’ll make the right decisions,” Cloud said. After a second the silverette’s head turned, thick wet hair obscuring his face as he gave Cloud’s lips a wet, hair covered kiss. A small, somewhat forced smile turned the corners of the blonde’s mouth. 

“Come on, you need to clean up for work. And get me that combat knife,” Cloud said. Sephiroth lingered for a moment longer before straightening his back. After that, the two showered without a word, though the General did manage to work his hands into Cloud’s hair and stubbornly wash it for some reason. Once out of the shower, dried, and dressed, the two sat down to a breakfast of waffles from the complimentary breakfast they brought from the office to the small, two-seat table in their room. 

“Sephiroth, you okay?” Cloud asked. Hardly a word had been spoken, and though his mood had gradually improved, the silverette had remained oddly quiet. 

“I’m fine,” Sephiroth said. The blonde frowned. 

“You’ve been really quiet. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just… not in a good mood earlier,” Cloud said and the General gave a solitary nod.

“I know. But no matter how I think about it, I can’t think of any way in which I can help your friend short of murdering everyone in my way and stealing him,” Sephiroth said and an uncomfortable chill ran down the blonde’s spine. It was almost otherworldly how easily the General defaulted to the thought of killing. His bond had said all he’d ever known was war and death, and it was becoming more and more apparent. It made Cloud wonder just what sort of childhood Sephiroth had. The blonde reached his hand across the tiny space and placed it over the silverette’s resting on the table. 

“It’s okay. He knew he could get caught, and he was the one who told me to stop trying to help him and run. I just feel bad about it, you know? I left a fellow comrade behind, and it wasn’t something I wanted to do. And you don’t need to take on all my burdens, either. It’s not fair or healthy,” Cloud explained. Sephiroth stopped eating and their eyes met. 

“I want to erase all of your pain. I want to make you happy,” Sephiroth said and the blonde’s lips curved into a soft smile.

“I won’t be happy if you torture yourself trying to do that, so don’t be so hard on yourself,” Cloud said and after a second the silverette gave a light nod, a small, perhaps awkward smile curving his lips. 

“I’ll try. I’m usually much more level-headed, but when it comes to you I have a hard time not being emotional,” the General explained before he gave a more complete smile. “It makes me a bad General,” he added and Cloud smiled a little brighter. 

“Funny guy you are,” the blonde said and a soft chuckle passed from the silverette’s lips. Relieved, Cloud pulled his hand back, relaxed in his chair, and ate his waffles. With a lighter atmosphere in the room, the two finished their breakfast. After Sephiroth was dressed to the nines, Cloud gave the General a brush down over his front to make sure his suit was orderly and bid the man farewell. Once alone in the room, Cloud turned around and looked at the space he had to occupy all day and heaved a sigh as he walked over to the bed, grabbed up the remote on his way to the end of the bed, sat down, and turned the TV on. It was going to be a boring day.

Cloud spent the day between naps, TV, and after getting a surprise delivery of lunch, courtesy of Sephiroth calling and informing the blonde via phone, Cloud decided to try meditation. The one thing he learned from that experience was that medication was harder than he thought it was. The blonde couldn’t have been more antsy for six o’clock to come around, though he knew that it would take his mate longer than usual to return, due to distance and because Cloud had no idea if Sephiroth was buying the combat knife after work or not. To pass the time, the blonde decided to practice stances and moves used when working with a combat knife; finally doing something useful. But even the basics could be gone over so many times in one day. 

The door clicked and Cloud watched as the barrier swung open and through the entrance was a tall head of silver hair. The blonde smiled and walked over as Sephiroth’s gaze met his and the two shared a smile. 

“Welcome back,” Cloud greeted and the General gave a nod. 

“It’s good to be back,” the silverette said as he closed the door and locked it up before he walked up to the blonde, stooped down a bit, and kissed his lips. Cloud’s cheeks warmed a little and he looked away, awkward, before he sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Well, I’m sure you’re excited for this,” Sephiroth said as he pulled a folded up paper bag from under his suit and offered it out to the blonde. Cloud took the bag into his hands, unfolded it, and reached inside. His fingers felt out the hilt, grabbed, and pulled the ten-inch knife from the bag. With the blade in hand, he dropped the paper wrapping into his lap and examined the knife as he carefully slid it out of its sheath. It was large, rather straight with only a curve of the cutting edge to the tip. Cloud wrapped his hand around the handle, it felt good in his hand, and its grooved grip made it easy to keep hold of. 

“Do you like it?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde nodded. 

“Yeah. I knew you would make the right choice,” Cloud said and the General gave a nod as he moved to the blonde’s right side and sat down. 

“Good. I wanted something reliable but not too bulky,” the General said and Cloud nodded as he sheathed the knife and put it to rest over the bag on his thighs. 

“Thanks. I’ll go over my training with it tomorrow,” the blonde said. 

“Well, are you hungry?” Sephiroth asked. 

~~~

The following day was spent with Cloud practicing stances and moves: from blocks, dodges, to various attacks. It was about mid-morning when the blonde was relaxing on the bed watching TV when his phone rang. He reached across the bed, grabbed his phone, saw the General’s profile image, and answered. 

“Is everything okay?” Cloud asked. 

“Our intruder has been apprehended,” Sephiroth said over the line, and the blonde shot upright on the bed. 

“Who is he?” he gasped out. 

“We don’t know yet. He came to the door twenty minutes ago. I watched the feed from the spycam while Zackary waited to see if he tried to break in, and he did. Once he got the door open Zackary tried to grab him, he ran, but was wrestled to the ground in the hallway. I don’t want to alarm you, because Zackary is fine, but the man had concealed a gun in his clothes and shot him,” Sephiroth explained and Cloud felt all the air in his lungs suck out.


	14. Pebbles At Your Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the mysterious man appearing at Sephiroth and Cloud's door, the pair plan to carefully resume their budding domestic life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you all so much for all and comments and kudos! I hope everyone continued to enjoy the story!
> 
> Now that the man at the door is caught, everyone can resume their lives, but there is something very unsettling about the man that was at the door.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

“H-he’s okay?” Cloud asked, wanting to hear the General say it again. 

“Yes, he is. In fact, he’ll probably be back at his apartment soon,” Sephiroth explained as Cloud scooted off the bed and started to pace the room.

“Can I see him?” the blonde asked. 

“...no,” was Sephiroth’s response, “not right now. When I get off work, we can return to the apartment, and I’ll take you to see Zackary,” he explained. Cloud felt his heart twist with sharp pain his chest as a wave of dizziness assaulted his senses, forcing the blonde to realize he hadn’t really been breathing. 

“How can I just sit here knowing what happened?” Cloud asked, his voice more forceful than usual.

“I know it’s frustrating. But trust me, Zackary will be fine, nothing a restore materia won’t fix,” Sephiroth assuaged and Cloud took in a deep breath and released it in a frustrated sigh. His entire body felt like it was vibrating with energy now, how the hell was he supposed to sit around and wait for the General to get off work? 

“Focus on your knife combat. Just because this man has been caught doesn’t mean that the danger is over. We’ll need to interrogate him and find out who he is connected with. I’d like to go interrogate him myself, but this is being handled as a civilian affair for now, so the Public Security Division has got him at the moment,” the General explained and Cloud heaved another sigh and stopped pacing. 

“Okay, fine,” the blonde said. There was a pause on the other side of the line before there was the sound of something ruffling on the other end. 

“I have to go. I will see you in a few hours. Try to be patient,” Sephiroth said and then the line was cut. Ending the call, Cloud sat on the edge of the bed and leaned back on his hands, eyes lifted to the ceiling. He couldn’t believe it, the guy had been caught, and so easily. The guy had to be have been stupid to come sniffing around again so soon after he had chased him. With another sigh, Cloud stood up, dropped his phone onto the bed, and picked up his knife. He had nothing better to do anyway. 

After about an hour of strike practice, though really, it was a poor excuse for practice when he had no one to actually practice with, Cloud stopped and glanced at his phone. He had taken a few glances at it, debating, wondering how long it would take for Zack to be treated, debriefed, and sent back home. Cloud laid his still sheathed blade down, he sat on the bed and picked up his phone. Choosing Zack’s number he pressed it to his ear and waited out the rings. 

“Hello?” was the confused question on the other line and the blonde felt his heart flutter in relief. 

“Uh, it’s Cloud,” he greeted and Zack’s voice shot up in excited volume through the speaker. 

“Wow! First time you called me! How are ya? You hear the good news?” Zack asked and the blonde nodded. 

“Yeah, I did. Are you okay? I heard you were shot,” Cloud asked. 

“Oh? Yeah, it was a shallow wound. One cast of cure and I was good as new! The most painful part was actually doing the debrief. They were pretty skeptical for some reason about my being in your guys’ place. But, in the end, they turned me out. Got home about 15 minutes ago, I’m waiting for food,” Zack prattled and a grateful smile crossed the blonde’s lips. 

“I’m glad that you’re okay. If you’d been hurt really bad because of me I-”

“Hey now. It’s not your responsibility. I volunteered, and I was happy to do it. You need me to do it again, and I will,” Zack cut in, slamming the brakes on Cloud’s guilty response. 

“Okay,” the blonde said somewhat reluctantly. “Well, Sephiroth and I are gonna see you tonight. I think we’re coming back to the apartment too. I’m going to pack everything up,” Cloud informed. 

“Ah! Cool! Maybe I shoulda waited to order then. We could eat dinner together! Eh, I’ll stick it in the fridge and eat it tomorrow,” the First said with a laugh. “The hallway around your door is all taped off right now, but I’m pretty sure they’ll have it all cleared out by the time you guys get here. Maybe I shoulda snapped a pic,” Zack said. Relieved, Cloud let himself flop onto his back. 

“I’m going to be glad to be out of this hotel. I wanna start training with you again, and have some of that sword training you promised,” the blonde said and the SOLDIER chuckled. 

“I don’t remember explicitly promising you sword lessons,” Zack teased and Cloud frowned slightly, brows tending together. 

“But you said you’d do it,” the blonde said. Even though he knew the First hadn’t actually promised him, it still felt like one. 

“If Seph agreed. Which is why I didn’t promise,” Zack pointed out before chuckling again. “But seriously, I wanna teach you. You’re amazing, better than a lot of betas, and I like your drive. And I’ve always wanted to pass on my knowledge to someone. Even if you’re not in SOLIDER, you’re still worthy in my book. So, soon as Seph says you can, I’ll drag you down to a training room, let you pick out a sword, and we’ll get going,” Zack informed. Cloud smiled. 

“Yeah. I really want that,” the blonde agreed. 

“Well then, we’ll tag team Seph, he can’t possibly refuse if we both get at him,” the First said and a small laugh rumbled from deep within Cloud’s chest. 

“Think you could help me improve my knife skills too?” Cloud asked. 

“Knife?” Zack asked. 

“Sephiroth got me a combat knife. I was pretty good at it in training. So he thought it was something we could easily sneak into the apartment that I could use,” Cloud explained.

“Ah, I see. Geeze, starting to think that maybe we need a metal detector in the lobby,” Zack said with a laugh. “But sure. I was always a little clumsy with knives, but I did get proficient enough to join SOLDIER 2nd. Which is a requirement to get in.”

“Cool, thanks,” Cloud said. 

“No problem, bud. I’m excited to be a teacher to ya,” Zack said. “Oh, my food’s here. Gotta go buddy. See you tonight!” the First said and Cloud smiled as he gave a nod. 

“Yeah. See you. I’ll start packing up the clothes now,” Cloud informed. 

“Gotcha. See ya bud.”

“See you.” After Cloud hung up he let the hand holding his phone drop to the side. Well, at least Zack was definitely okay. Even though he trusted Sephiroth and was sure that First had to have been, it was comforting to hear Zack being his usual, cheerful self. Satisfied, Cloud got off the bed and threw his dirty clothes into a bag along with Sephiroth’s and placed the suitcase on the bed by the bag. After that, the blonde took up the side of the bed and watched TV. By 6:45, Cloud was pacing the room, waiting, and when he heard the beep of the door, he stopped and walked up to the barrier. It opened, revealing the silverette, who smiled upon seeing the blonde so eager to meet him. 

“Ready?” he asked and Cloud nodded. “If everything’s packed, let’s grab it all and go,” Sephiroth said and the blonde walked over to the edge of the bed, grabbed the bag of dirty clothes and the suitcase while the General collected his last hanging suit and the two exited the room. 

“Once we drop everything off, we’ll see Zack. He… wants to eat dinner together,” Sephiroth said, hesitating upon revealing the information and a small smile cracked the blonde’s lips. 

“Yeah, I heard that,” Cloud said and the silverette looked down at the blonde while they walked. 

“Yes, he mentioned you calling when he called me. So, thanks,” Sephiroth said and Cloud couldn’t stop the small, single laugh that hit the back of his throat. 

“You’re more introverted than me, you know that? I was really well known back in Nibelheim for not being very social, but you make me look like a socialite in comparison,” the blonde said with a small smirk curving his lips. 

“I… never really got used to being around people. The more I am among groups, usually, the more tired and irritated I get,” Sephiroth explained and Cloud gave a nod. 

“I’m that way in big groups and public events. But in small groups, I can do fine so long as no one expects me to talk a lot or engage,” the blonde informed and the silverette smiled slightly. 

“I would rather just be alone. And I went through a lot of effort to maintain my solitude... until I met you,” Sephiroth informed. “It’s been easier to let you into my life than I thought, though I’m sure our bonding has helped. Now, I just prefer for it to be only the two of us, rather than letting third or fourth wheel get in the way of our time together,” the General said and the blonde emitted a soft grunt. 

“Sounds like you just want to monopolize me,” Cloud responded and a thoughtful look graced the silverette’s regal features. 

“You might be right about that,” he conceded and the blonde felt his heart skip a beat as heat warmed his cheeks a little before he tried to hide his face while working to force the heat to fade. Shit, he hadn’t expected Sephiroth to not only take the comment seriously but to admit to it so easily. The two caught a cab outside the hotel and once they dropped their stuff off at their apartment, where there was no tape as Zack had guessed, they rode the elevator down two floors and walked down the hall toward the First’s apartment. After knocking on the door, it opened to reveal the grinning, cheery disposition of none other than Zackary Fair. 

“Hey, guys! Just in time! I ordered a bunch of different Chinese dishes! I uh… got so hungry I decided and ordered ahead. But hey, there’s bound to be something you’ll like!” Zack greeted as he opened the door and stepped to the side, allowing the pair to step into an apartment filled with the enticing aroma of dinner. 

“I’ve uh… never had Chinese food before. But it smells good,” Cloud said as he walked over to the square table, and the blonde noted that it had been pulled from the corner wall and one mismatched chair had been placed to accommodate the trio.

“Excellent! And I already know what Seph likes, so we’re covered!” Zack said as he closed the door after the two and went to the kitchen. When he returned to the already seated duo, with Cloud taking the mismatched folded chair, he placed a can of soda and a glass of water at each plate and sat down across from Cloud. 

“Feel free to try a little of everything,” Zack said as he pushed the plate he had placed at his spot beforehand forward, and grabbed one of the serving utensils he’d stuck into various containers and started serving himself. 

“What would you like to try, Cloud?” Sephiroth asked. 

“Uh… anything have beef?” the blonde asked, feeling slightly embarrassed. Beef was still new enough to be really exciting.

“The Beef and Broccoli is right over there,” Zack said with a meager gesture before the silverette picked up a container of rice and served some to both of their plates. He then picked up and scooped some of the contents of the Beef and Broccoli container, and poured it over Cloud’s rice. The General then found and placed a large serving of Kung Pao chicken onto his plate. 

“Look at you, you really love to spoil Cloud don’t you?” Zack teased and Sephiroth paused a moment before deciding to ignore the comment. As the trio dug in, Cloud found he particularly liked the flavor of oyster sauce, and after stealing a bite from the silverette’s Kung Pao Chicken, that he did not like its spice. The blonde ended up eating with a fork after struggling and developing a cramp in his hand from the chopsticks despite Sephiroth showing and placing his fingers onto the chopsticks, but vowed to pick them up again whenever the cramps faded. It was during this transition back to chopsticks that Cloud remembered Zack’s offer of sword training and glanced up at the General as he ate with comfortable skill with his own chopsticks. 

“Uh, Sephiroth,” the blonde called lightly, drawing his mate’s eyes to his place at the table. 

“What is it?” the silverette asked when he finished swallowing. 

“Zack has offered to teach me swordsmanship,” Cloud informed and everyone at the table froze. Sephiroth’s gaze slid to the other First and Zack gave a small, nervous laugh, his uncomfortable grin showing his teeth. 

“Is that so, Fair?” the General asked and the fellow SOLDIER put his chopsticks down before swallowing what was in his mouth. 

“Well, Cloud wants to. And I mean, I’ll be there with him from start to finish. And we caught this weirdo! So we should be good, yeah?” Zack said. Sephiroth took in a breath and released it as he placed his chopsticks across his plate. 

“That guy is from Avalanche,” the General informed and the other two stared, wide-eyed.

“What?! Why the hell were they sneaking in here of all places?! Shouldn’t they be busy terrorizing other ShinRa employees?” Zack asked.

“We don’t know. He isn’t talking. Due to his silence, and because he is with Avalanche, the Security Division has been given the go-ahead to use truth serum,” Sephiroth explained. “There’s long been a suspected traitor in ShinRa that works with Avalanche, which would explain some to the situations we’ve had with them, particularly in the last few years. So, it’s possible that they were fed information about Cloud. I don’t know why it would matter to them, but if they had been after me, I would think they would have visited me long ago. Though, I suppose the timing could be a coincidence. But, I also think true coincidences are exceedingly rare,” he added. 

“What could they even want with me, if it is me?” Cloud asked, a sound of confusion and awe in his voice. It was starting to sound more crazy by the day. Maybe it was more benign than it seemed, because otherwise, it seemed like the blonde had gotten involved in a big budget spy thriller.

“I don’t know. Maybe because you were in Omega Square and successfully escaped. Maybe because you and I are bonded. I should be able to find out first thing tomorrow morning when I get in,” Sephiroth answered. 

“Will you be able to tell Cloud? I mean, now that he’s a known member of Avalanche, it’s going to be escalated to confidential and require a certain clearance level to know about it,” Zack said and Sephiroth gave a solitary nod. 

“Yes, it has already been escalated. But, since this involved Cloud, I will not be leaving him out. I just have to beware of who is listening,” the General said and Zack gave a soft whistle. 

“Defiant, damn General,” Zack said. Cloud looked down at his plate, his hands gripping his thighs tight as his brows tensed together. 

“But, to steer back to the original topic. I am still incredibly uncomfortable with Cloud running around out in the open. But, I gave my word to not fight him if he truly wants to do something,” Sephiroth said before he turned his head back to the blonde. When he looked up their gazes locked. “It’d be different if you were without Zack; I would absolutely refuse. But, if you really want to, you can train with Zack. Just not on ShinRa grounds,” the General informed. 

“What? Where should he train then?” Zack asked. The General looked back at his fellow SOLDIER. 

“You think about it. All you need is a private location,” Sephiroth said with a tone finality. Cloud and Zack shared a glance. 

“Okaaay, we’ll brainstorm that one,” Zack said before his eyes lit up. 

“Oh! There’s this place that lets you rent big rooms for various types of activities, we can go there, rent it for lunch, and then head back. Should work, right?” Zack asked as the General picked up his chopsticks, passing on an answer, which drew the other First to look at Cloud.

“Yeah, sounds good,” the blonde said, his heart racing in excitement. 

“Then you’re all set. I’ll be expecting the two of you to be responsible,” the General declared before taking a bite of his food, and the duo shared a small smile. 

“Great! We can start tomorrow!” Zack declared before spooning himself more food while Cloud picked up his own chopsticks and resumed practicing eating with them. After that, the trio finished their dinner, and the couple bid Zack farewell. 

“How was dinner overall?” Sephiroth asked as the two stepped into the elevator. 

“It was good. My hand cramps kept getting worse though,” Cloud muttered as he rubbed the webbing between his thumb and index finger. 

“You were probably gripping too hard, though cramps are common for people new to chopsticks,” the silverette informed and the blonde nodded. 

“Makes sense,” Cloud said. Once the two were back in the apartment, Sephiroth showered first, the blonde after him as was now customary, and crawled into bed for the night. Cloud rolled onto his side and Sephiroth slid in against his backside, his arms encircling the blonde, Once again the pair found their senses once again saturated in one another’s intimate scent. 

“It feels good being back in our bed again,” Sephiroth muttered behind Cloud’s head and the blonde gave a single nod. 

“I can smell that Zack was in here though. Did he sleep on the floor?” the blonde asked. 

“A futon,” the silverette corrected. “He knew you’d be particularly sensitive to his smell in the room and told me himself that he would use a futon so as to avoid altering the smell of the bed. After all, you are a nesting omega,” Sephiroth said, a small chuckle to his words that caused Cloud’s lips to purse in a pout. 

“I’m not nesting,” the blonde refuted. The silverette chuckled again and placed a kiss to the back of Cloud’s head. The contact lingered a moment before the General took a deep inhale through the nose. 

“Did you just smell me?” Cloud asked. 

“Don’t think I missed you taking a deep sniff of me when you woke up every morning in the hotel,” Sephiroth said and Cloud felt his heart jump as his cheeks grew hot. Too embarrassed to say anything, the blonde went silent. “Don’t feel embarrassed. It’s natural for us to enjoy each others’ scent.”

“Nothing ever gets passed you, does it?” Cloud asked after a moment. 

“No, nothing. How do you think I became General?” Sephiroth said, a smile to his voice that he surely wore, and though he tried not to, Cloud smiled too. It was hard to be upset when the silverette was in a good mood, and judging from what the blonde felt against the back of his thigh, and the growing scent reaching him, Sephiroth was in a particularly good mood. In reaction, the blonde felt his own cock start to swell as his heart rate increased. Twisting slightly, Cloud looked over his shoulder and blue met green. 

“Want to have sex?” Sephiroth asked without missing a beat. And though a slight bit of warmth filled the blonde’s cheeks, he smiled as he rolled over to face the General. 

“Yeah.”


	15. Sword Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud finally begins his sword training with Zack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos! 
> 
> I hope that this chapter is okay, I feel really unsure about it. It's short and primarily set up to help push the story along a bit as I enter the last bit of this particular segment of the fic. 
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

Cloud followed behind Zack through the busy streets of Sector 8. The SOLDIER had on his buster sword, but also strapped to his back were two simple long swords, and it was hard to remain calm when the blonde knew one was for him. It was clear that it was old and intentionally dulled, no better than a wooden sword, but perfect for training. Initially, Zack had wanted to use a wooden sword, but Cloud’s stubbornness won him an iron one, and his eyes kept gluing to it in adoration. Cloud had decided to wear his white tank-top with the graphic of a snarling wolf, his loose black pants, and black work boots; attire he hoped would be loose and cool enough to wear throughout his first day of training. 

“Right here!” Zack motioned out with his hand holding the handle of a duffle bag when Cloud hurried to keep in step with the First. Weaving through the people, the blonde looked up and read the large red letters printed on a black sign above a large industrial building. Rent A Space was the name, and the blonde followed eagerly through the large glass doors into the office. It was lit up inside the office despite the dark gray walls and a lighter gray counter stretching across the back of the office. There were two doors, one behind the desk, and another to the right. The entire front of the office was nothing but windows, which was what lit up the establishment. A woman stood in the middle of the counter, a computer nestled in a corner of the L that it eventually made toward the glass windows on the left of the corner set office. 

“Welcome to Rent A Space! How can we help you today!” the woman greeted with an enthused smile gracing her lips. She was a small girl with slightly curled short brown hair. Her brown eyes darted from Cloud to Zack before focusing on the SOLDIER. 

“Ah! Someone from SOLDIER? How can we help you today?” she asked as Zack walked up to the counter, giving a handsome smile as he leaned on his arms. 

“Well, we need a space for an hour,” Zack informed. The girl gave a nod as she pulled out a clipboard. 

“What will you be doing? Just for knowledge, we do not allow any illegal activities in our spaces, including sexual activities which are charged as public indecency, and intentional damage to the property, and you will be in charge of cleaning up the room before you leave. Also, if you have your SOLDIER ID card you can earn a discount!” the woman said as Zack took the pen slid into the clip and started to fill out the form. 

“Nothing extravagant. Just some self-defense practice,” Zack said. While the First filled out the paper, the girl looked to Cloud. 

“I’ll need you to sign too, since you will also be using the room,” the girl informed and the blonde tensed a moment as he walked up to the counter. After signing one of the various empty dashes on the paper for participant names, Zack pushed the clipboard over toward Cloud. The blonde took the pen and as soon as his eyes started to read over the text the ink letters quickly shrunk and seemed to run together. Shaking himself, Cloud leaned against the counter and stared hard at the form. He didn’t want to sign, his hand felt like it shook slightly as his heart started to pound in his head, but deciding that he would just put all his trust in Zack, the blonde signed his name and quickly put the pen down as if he couldn’t get rid of it fast enough.

“Hey, you okay, buddy?” Zack asked as the blonde’s vision slid to the First before he gave a wordless nod. The First gave the blonde a concerned look as he slid a wallet from his back pocket, pulled out his ID and debit card, and handed it to the girl who suddenly looked less enthused. 

“Um, 7500 gil,” she said as she went to the computer in the corner and started processing the transaction. Cloud stepped from the counter and took a deep breath when he realized he felt as though he hadn’t been breathing properly. When the girl returned with a receipt and Zack’s card, he took them and wrapped an arm around the blonde’s shoulders. 

“Hey, let’s go! It’s training time!” Zack cheered as he tugged Cloud along with him through door on the right side of the office. Though the blonde stumbled a step, he eventually caught up with and walked with the First, trapped in his arm through the door before he managed to break free. 

“Hey, you seemed super tense back there, you okay?” Zack asked, his mood sobered as he replaced his refilled wallet back into his back pocket. The hallway was dark, lit up by strip lights above. The SOLDIER looked down at the receipt in his hands and began looking up at the numbers above the door they currently stood in front of. When that didn’t seem to be what he was looking for, they walked for a minute longer before the found another. 

“Sorry,” Cloud muttered, awkward. “Just started remembering stupid stuff,” he added when Zack stopped at a door and looked at him. 

“Were you thinking about Omega Square?” the First asked, and though the blonde hesitated he gave a nod. 

“Yeah. I mean, it’s not the same at all. But, I just got kind of anxious for some reason about the idea of signing my name, and when I tried to read the form I couldn’t focus on the text at all,” Cloud explained. Zack’s brow creased in dismay as he walked up and placed a strong hand on the blonde’s shoulder. 

“I’d never have you sign anything that would put you in danger,” the First said, his voice grave as Cloud looked up and placed his hand over Zack’s.

“I know. It was an impulse reaction, it didn’t really mean anything. But, now that I’ve done it once, next time it’ll be fine,” the blonde explained. The two stared at one another for a long second, Zack’s glowing blue eyes holding the sky blue of Cloud’s own before finally, the blonde looked away. 

“It’s nothing to do with you, I’m fine now,” Cloud declared. Slowly, the First slid his hand off the blonde’s shoulder. 

“Okay. If anything feels off, or you’re unsure about something, let me know. I’ll always watch your back,” Zack informed before he turned toward, reached out, and took the handle of the door they were in front of.

“This is the one for us,” Zack said as he pushed the door open and stepped inside, the blonde right behind him. The space itself wasn’t quite so dark, more of a soft gray were the walls, and it was well lit up. The floor was padded with some slightly springy, but firm black material, which felt like dense mats underfoot. The room was completely empty, not a single chair even existed. 

“Well! This is it! It’s literally just the space, but it works for us!” Zack said as he dropped the duffle bag by the door, zipped it open, pulled out two water bottles which he placed at its side, and two towels he draped over it. Standing straight, Zack gave Cloud a grin as he unstrapped the training swords from his back, spun one over his hand like a baton, took hold of the handguard, and held out the grip. The blonde walked over and carefully took the sword in his hand. To his surprise it was lighter than he expected as he stepped a safe distance back from Zack and lifted the tip to the air, his eyes trailing along the battered length of the tarnished blade. 

“Not what you’d expect, huh?” Zack asked as he pulled the buster sword from his back and leaned it against the wall by the door. It made sense that he would want to work with Cloud using the same type of weapon, but the blonde couldn’t help being disappointed to not experience that massive buster sword. Cloud wasn’t sure exactly what sort of sword he wanted to use, but after seeing Zack massive blade he was learning toward something as imposing, perhaps due to his youthful immaturity. Though Sephiroth’s Masamune also looked cool, but unlike Zack, it had a note of terror in its long, slender blade. 

“Well! Let’s go over basic stance!” Zack called as he stepped into the center of the large room and Cloud followed suit. Chances were the First wouldn’t even be using his own sword to actually spar with Cloud since infantry were barely taught anything with swords, instead they focused on guns, knives, and batons… more the guns and knives part though. Batons were for those who couldn’t cut it on the battlefield and got sent to basically patrol Midgar’s streets. Cloud spread his feet shoulder length apart, held out his sword before him in two hands, and fixed Zack with his gaze. The First walked up to the blonde then and started patting the blonde in various places. 

“Loosen your elbows and shoulders, you’re going to pull a muscle. Your knees too, you need to be ready to move, not be a stone statue,” Zack said and Cloud felt his cheeks burn a little as he adjusted his stance, feeling somewhat dumb. 

“Okay, your grip is good, your right foot should be slightly forward so that it’s easier to break into movement,” Zack said and Cloud nodded as he did what he was instructed. After that, the blonde was directed to lift his sword and throw it down, after which he received a slight correction on his elbow position and wrist pivot before he resumed chopping the air. 

“All right, you do that for a while. Then I’ll show you proper defense position, and how to brace with your sword,” Zack said and the blonde gave a nod and began performing chops, making sure to keep every movement correct to the First’s direction. Zack sat down against the wall with his water bottle, watching the blonde with a lazy smirk, which was a distraction, but Cloud hardened his resolve and continued the chop. Unfortunately, after a while the blonde started to get impatient, made worse when the muscles in his arms started to burn. As if sensing Cloud’s growing pensive mood, and the tremble in his tiring arms, Zack eventually returned to the center of the room and gave the blonde permission to rest his arms. 

“So, what do you do when you are not using your sword?” the First suddenly asked and the blonde looked up and quirked a brow at the SOLDIER. 

“Sheath your sword?” Cloud answered, uncertain if he was being asked a trick question. 

“True. How would you hold it when you are moving with it out?” Zack asked. 

“Uh? Pointed down, right? Like a gun,” Cloud answered and a broad grin broke across the First’s face before he patted the blonde on the shoulder. 

“Correct! You’d be surprised how many newbies don’t guess that,” Zack said with a slight cheer of approval in his voice. 

“Well, I mean, it’s common sense. You don’t point a dangerous weapon in any direction that could hurt someone, so you point it down, like the barrel of a gun,” Cloud answered. 

“Yup~” the First lilted. “Now, let’s go over basic defense position, how to brace properly, and how to always come out on top when you are stuck in a brace. There’s a little trick breaking a sword lock successfully,” Zack said with a grin and wink. 

When Zack was done with his explanations Cloud couldn’t help feeling like he’d been flung back to basic training and filling his cadet shoes again. But the subject made the topics much more fun, and motivated Cloud to try even harder. Zack went over a basic stance with a surprising amount of firmness, hitting Cloud with the flat of his dulled sword in every location the blonde left open to attack. After a while, it actually started to not only sting a little where he hit, but irritate Cloud too, not so much at the First, but himself. After that, Zack allowed Cloud to try bracing their swords and break free from him, and though the blonde klutzed his way through it, the First assured Cloud that he clearly had an understanding of the basics, and would improve with more practice. After their hour was up the two grabbed their water bottles. Hot and sweaty Cloud was extremely grateful for the drink while he wiped the sweat from his face and neck with his towel, all the while trying to stop the shaking in his taxed arms. The blonde was pretty sure his arms were going to hurt like hell the next day, but it would be a soreness worn with pride. After that, the two grabbed lunch on the go. Zack then dropped Cloud off at the apartment to eat on his own while the First returned to his post, stuffing his sandwich into his mouth as he walked away with a wave over his shoulder.

Cloud took a seat at the table and ate his chicken salad sandwich and drank his juice. When finished he cleaned up his space and took a shower. After cleaning up the blonde changed into his freshly cleaned black t-shirt and changed his boxers. After a brief debate Cloud decided to just stay in his shirt and boxers and laid down on his side of the bed, crossed his arms behind his head, and relaxed. A small smile curved his lips. He couldn’t wait for Sephiroth to come home, but being so thoroughly satisfied and tired, the blonde found he didn’t mind the wait as his eyes started to drift closed. After a few struggling attempts to keep his eyelids up, Cloud’s eyes drifted closed, his neck went lax, and gently fell into a light slumber.


	16. Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud goes into heat at the very unfortunate time of 3:12 in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you to everyone who has been reading, leaving kudos or comments! I hope everyone enjoys this smutty chapter and some of the unfortunate shenanigans that plague Sephiroth.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

A strong, pleasurable scent filled Cloud’s nose, rousing him to alertness. Slowly his eyes slid open, groggy and resistant, but when his vision cleared the sight of chin filled his vision, above that rested a pair of pale pink lips. Lifting his head, the blonde looked into eyes of green hallowing a stretched thin pupil. Silver hair tickled his cheeks as the long lashes that housed that steady green gaze fanned the air in the delicate arc of a blink. 

“Sephiroth?” Cloud mumbled as his muscles started to hum with waking as he shook off the vestiges of sleep. 

“Did I surprise you?” the silverette’s soft, baritone voice whispered, and a small smile curved Cloud’s lips. 

“No, I could smell you,” the blonde muttered as his arms lifted, heavier than usual, and hooked around the General’s strong neck. The silverette gave a thoughtful hum as his lips dipped down and kissed of all things, Cloud’s nose, the long strands of his bangs sliding down the sides of the blonde’s face. 

“I see, the nose of a bloodhound, then?” Sephiroth mused, a soft chuckle to his words. 

“Maybe. I feel like my sense of smell is a million times stronger now for some reason. Like, not just picking up your scent or other alphas, everything is more fragrant, the bad and the good,” Cloud said. Almost as if in response, the pleasurable smell that emanated from the silverette intensified and the blonde’s heart started to beat harder in response to the stimulus as his cock gave a twitch. A smile curved the General’s sensual lips. 

“I’ve heard that omegas have very strong senses, stronger than alphas. Having something to do with natural defense mechanisms,” Sephiroth said as his lips lowered while his body settled down on top of the blonde’s. As the General’s face leaned in, Cloud found himself closing his eyes and angling his head to better expose his lips, which were kissed softly. Sephiroth’s hands moved from the mattress as his weight fully settled on top of the blonde, and ran his hands down Cloud’s sides. A pleasurable shudder spidered across the blonde’s flesh, made even stronger when the General shifted and he felt the man’s hard dick pressed against his thigh. The slow waking of the blonde’s cock jumped up hard and alert as the blonde spread his legs and allowed his mate to settle between them.

“What’s the occasion?” Cloud asked as Sephiroth slid up his body and ground his hips unabashed against his own, rubbing the bulges in their pants together and drawing forth pleasured groans from both as their hearts beat faster in excitement. 

“Sometimes you’re just in the mood after a long day, aren’t you?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde’s lips quirked up into a small smile as the silverette leaned down into his ear. “You smell so good right now, I’ve been unable to think about anything else all day.”

~~~

Cloud began a steady routine. Every day he went to Zack’s in the morning to keep up the apartment for pay and work out when he finished, during lunch on Mondays and Thursdays they would head over to Rent A Space where the First drilled and pushed Cloud to continuously improve his swordplay. In the evening's Sephiroth would come home and the two would chat about their day, usually ending with mouths falling together, roaming hands, and other carnal activities. Cloud was about ready to make Sephiroth take him shopping for some basic home essentials, and thanks to a lunchtime wandering with Zack once during the weekend the blonde had an idea of what he wanted to choose. Sephiroth had even been receptive to the idea of a radio which at the very least would make the apartment feel a little more alive when the blonde was at home by himself. 

Cloud had also received his own copy of the door key, added with Zack’s so that he could go between apartments, but only when he was armed with his knife. Sephiroth had a couple days prior reported in a rather disappointed tone that the Avalanche member had been nothing but a grunt that knew nothing other than the order to retrieve Cloud, at gun point if necessary, and to shoot anyone that tried to stop him. It was possible to extract a location and occomplices from the man under the influence of drugs, but otherwise, it was essentially a dead end in relation to Cloud. Sephiroth had said he expected Avalanche to disappear again, like they always managed to. While keeping the information that someone was after him, the blonde added it to the pile of people apparently chasing after his ass and decided he would not live like a rat in a hole. He would use his keys, he would work for his pay, work out during his free time, and train to use the sword. The stronger he got, the better his position would be in self-defense anyway. The spycam above their door was a permanent fixture now with one in front of Zack’s door as well, which Sephiroth used to keep tabs on when Cloud went between apartments; and to see if anyone snooped around. It had been quiet and pleasant, and though his dreams about Omega Square cotninued, they were more fragmented and usually were quickly forogtten after waking. 

Cloud woke in discomfort. Covered in sweat, heart pounding, and aching between his legs the blonde shivered as his vision swam and struggled to focus on the lamp on his side of the bed. Sephiroth’s smell pressed in around him more oppressively than normal, making his mouth water as his heart began to pound faster in his chest. His limbs felt like they shook beneath the blankets that stuck to his bare skin. Sephiroth had apparently uncurled himself from the blonde and now lay on his back, his arm still under the pillow beneath Cloud’s head. The blonde shifted and the feeling of sheets scraping his flesh drew forth a hard shudder as the throbbing of his cock suddenly flared to near painful heights. In that very same moment, the blonde realized his ass was soaking wet and groaned in misery.

“S-Sephiroth?” Cloud asked, his voice shaky and rough with sleep. A confused hum came from behind the blonde before the bed shifted. A second later a sharp intake of breath was the only thing the blonde heard before the silverette rolled back over and pressed against his back. 

“You’re in heat,” Sephiroth said, a note of surprise to his voice. Cloud’s brows twisted in dismay and swallowed another sudden rush of saliva that filled his mouth as the General’s breath and concentrated scent pushed down on him. 

“Wh-what do I do?” Cloud asked, though really he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He was so achingly hard, and the throbbing in his ass was pulsing teasingly hard in time with his heartbeat. It was a stupid question, he knew it, but a sudden bout of awkwardness birthed itself with the intense desire to just roll over and plaster himself against his mate and hump him. 

“Just relax, let me grab some condoms,” Sephiroth said as he slid his arm free from the pillow, allowing cool air to bathe the blonde’s sweaty backside before the sound of a bedside table drawer slid open, the clock above it reading out the awful hour of three twelve in the morning.

“Shit,” was muttered from across the bed. Cloud swallowed, fighting the urge to slide his hands down to his crotch. 

“What’s wrong? We just have sex, right?” the blonde asked. 

“Yeah, but I have not been keeping proper track of my condom count. I planned to buy some in the next couple days, particularly since I knew your heat was right around the corner,” the General said as the bed bounced slightly with his leaving it. Cloud twisted around, shuddering when the fabric of the bed caressed his sensitized skin. He watched as the silverette pulled the trunk out from under the bed and pulled on a pair of pants. 

“I’ll need you to hold on for roughly 20 minutes, you can masturbate if you need to,” Sephiroth said and Cloud’s heat flushed face grew hotter as he sat up on his elbows. 

“You don’t have any? I thought you bought stuff in excess,” the blonde said in an awkward voice. 

“I do, I bought a box of 36, and we’ve used almost all of them; we have a lot of sex, Cloud. And I think you’d rather me not leave after a few hours; unless you think you wouldn’t mind me leaving later,” Sephiroth said as he looked up from buttoning his pants. A groan echoed from the back of the blonde’s throat as he flopped down on his back and rolled over, knees pulling to his chest and pressing his cock between his thighs. “I’d have bought two, but I wasn’t sure how well we’d get along, and then I never found the time to go out and get any more,” he added.

“Hurry,” Cloud grunted and Sephiroth was already across the room. To the blonde’s surprise, the silverette grabbed his old duster and slipped it on before unlocked and heading out the door. 

“I’ll be back quick,” the General said before closing the door and locking the bolt. Sephiroth’s long legs hurried him fast down the hall, the pounding of his heart working in time with the growing pulse of his half hard cock urging him to be quick. At least his snug briefs would keep him from embarrassing himself. The silverette strode through the lobby, ignoring Masamune as he went for the double doors when Zack stepped through, his arm around a young lady with ginger hair. 

“Oh! Hey, General, sir!” the First declared with a solute before grinning wide. His speech slurred slightly, indicating a certain level of intoxication that Sephiroth ignored as he continued forward. 

“Hey! You high?” Zack asked when they neared one another and he was able to get a view of the silverette’s completely rounded irises. 

“No, Cloud’s in heat,” the General said in a soft, matter of fact tone, though realized afterword that perhaps it wasn’t exactly wrong to call him high at the moment. Zack’s expression sobered up immediately as he walked up the silverette. 

“Wait, really?” he asked before taking a step back and shaking his head slightly, the length of his index finger rubbing against its bottom. 

“Wow, yeah, I can smell it. Why you here then?” he asked. Sephiroth eyed the woman, not at all enthused to have any such conversation about personal affairs. He started for the door and patted his back pocket before he froze. Standing in the doorway, Sephiroth patted his other back pocket, then his two front pockets and then dipped his hands inside, only pulling out the apartment keys. The General shook his head as he heaved an agitated sigh.

“You forget something?” Zack asked as he walked over to the silverette and leaned in close. 

“It’s condoms, right?” the fellow First asked in a secretive whisper, and though Sephiroth’s face pinched like he’d eaten something incredibly sour, he gave a nod.

“I forgot my wallet upstairs,” Sephiroth said privately, annoyed with himself. 

“Okay, I got it. It’ll be faster if I run out and get’em. What size?” Zack asked quietly and the silverette’s brow twitched in displeasure and humiliation. 

“Just,” the silverette began, “large, be quick, Fair,” Sephiroth said with a bothered sigh and Zack snapped his fingers before switching smoothly into a point at the General and hurrying away from the General.

“I’ll be right back!” Zack declared before turning to wink at the girl he came in with. “It’ll be just a sec,” he said before pivoting and hurrying out the doors. Flustered, Sephiroth walked back into the lobby and stood around, hands on his hips while he waited. He was half naked, half hard, without supplies he knew he had needed, and irritated, a wonderful way to start off his mate’s first heat with him.

“Is everything okay?” the young woman asked, appearing a bit bashful as she constantly stole glances at the silverette, particularly the exposed musculature of his pale torso that stood out proud due to the open nature of his coat. Noticing this, Sephiroth wondered if he should button up, just to avoid the staring. 

“Everything is fine,” Sephiroth said in a dismissive tone. 

“You’re… you’re General Sephiroth, aren’t you? You have that fan club,” the woman stated with a stutter that reminded the silverette of too many of his fans, and the General placed his hand over his eyes before sliding his fingers down the side of his face, stroking down his jaw as he lifted his eyes up to the lights built into the lobby ceiling; completely ignoring the question. A couple people passed by at the late hour before Zack jogged back, hurried up to the silverette, and passed off a small paper bag to the man.

“Here ya go~” Zack said with wink and the General gave a nod. 

“I’ll pay you back,” Sephiroth said as he turned on his heel and started back toward the elevator lobby before twisting to look behind him while Zack rejoined his date. 

“By the way, Zackary, you shouldn’t stay up too late. I’m going to be on leave for four to five days, so you’ll be in charge of the office,” Sephiroth informed and a look of pure horror filled Zack’s face as the inevitable realization dawned on him. 

“I’m supposed to be off tomorrow!” Zack gasped in utter dismay.

“Not this time. I’ll arrange a vacation for you when I return,” Sephiroth declared as one of the elevator doors opened and he stepped in when someone exited. 

~~~~

Cloud sat on the edge of the bed staring straight at the door while he fought off the shudders that kept wanting to seize his body. Why did having his heat feel like a severe cold with the addition of a boner and wet ass? At least having his heat meant he wasn’t pregnant, so that was good news. Even though Cloud shared none of the reservations Sephiroth did about having a family, he actually liked kids, but he was in no way emotionally ready to deal with having a kid, especially being the one pregnant. The blonde could smell Sephiroth before he even heard his feet, quickening his heartbeat into a fast race as he stood up and walked toward the door as it unlocked. Sephiroth paused in the doorway, pupil blown green eyes meeting Cloud’s own. The silverette’s breath and scent reached the blonde, wrapping him in a fresh cocoon and inducing another shudder he had to work to suppress as his mouth watered.

“You forgot your wallet on the nightstand,” the blonde said after a swallow and the silverette nodded as he closed the door and twisted the bolt behind him while keeping eye contact with Cloud.

“I know. But we’re covered,” Sephiroth said as he pulled a folded up paper bag from his coat. A wave of tension flooded from the blonde as he walked the few paced that separated them and grabbed the General’s duster before he gave a pull. The silverette dipped down and their lips met, breath fanning one another’s faces before soft lips melded together and mouths opened for tongues to meet and slip together. Cloud’s arms wound around Sephiroth’s neck while the General’s slid down the blonde’s back, inducing delicious spidering chills before he reached and grabbed both of his lover’s thighs and lifted him up until their bodies pressed together. 

A spark of pleasure hit Cloud’s cock when he pressed against his mate’s body before he was carried away from the door. The blonde aggressively slid his tongue against Sephiroth’s, curling and rubbing with a zeal that the General mimicked, breath puffing passionately from their noses as hands squeezed each other tighter to the other while Cloud pressed his crotch harder against his lover’s sculpted abdomen. Sephiroth was only aware that he was at the bed when his legs hit it and the blonde felt the bump before he suddenly found himself leaning backward with the bend of the General’s body. Their bodies hit the mattress with a heavy bounce before Cloud slid his hands free from the silverette’s neck and down his fully exposed chest. The smell of leather was enthralling in the way it mixed with his mate’s scent as it should, perfectly complimentary, while his hands felt out the corded muscle of the silverette’s torso. A rumbling groan echoed from the back of Sephiroth’s throat as he broke lips, smashed the bag onto the bed, and threw his duster carelessly to the floor behind him. 

The discard of clothing signaled action in Cloud as he pulled his damp shirt off, torso arching as he pulled. Sephiroth’s hands suddenly sized upon the blonde’s sides, taking advantage of the arch of the lithe body beneath him as his lips dipped down and licked against a pert, colorful nipple. A gasp hit the back of Cloud’s throat unexpectedly, shooting a strong aching pulse all through his cock as his ass wet more in pleasure. Sephiroth’s much larger frame swallowed the blonde as his hair fell over the blonde’s body as while his teeth sought out to nip and suck on the hardened nub between his lips. A loud moan broke from Cloud’s throat as his hips jerked, impatient as his arms tangled in his shirt while Sephiroth’s hands resumed sliding down his body and grabbing the hem of his boxers. 

As the material peeled away, Cloud’s erect cock bounced free, the blonde giving a grunt when the General suddenly abandoned his chest and slid down his body. Heart thundering his chest, the blonde struggled to steady his breathing as sweat poured from his overheating body while his mate immediately wrapped his lips around the leaking wet head of his cock and gave a suck, which tore a needy groan free from panting lips. Cloud’s hips twitched as Sephiroth’s right hand grabbed the blonde’s cock and slid the foreskin back as his tongue brushed against the leaking slit before sucking down to the base. Pleasure blared hot throughout Cloud’s body, drowning any true coherent thought from his mind as he compulsively swallowed and panted, moans oozing from his throat as his mate rubbed his tongue excessively against the pulsing vein along the underside of his dick as he sucked his way back up. Cloud’s head pushed back into the mattress, long lashed eyes fluttering as the blonde did his best to keep from ramming his cock into the most delicious sensation he had ever felt. There was only one thing that could compete, and the mere thought of it made him more wet as that spot deep inside of him throbbed for friction, for his mate to rub his thick cock against it. 

While tightly sucking up and down the prick between his skilled lips, Sephiroth’s left hand grabbed an ankle and hiked it up over his shoulder before he slid his hand beneath his mate’s swollen balls and fingered his soaking wet hole. A gasp caught in Cloud’s throat when his hole was prodded and spread open as a foreign appendage pushed through the muscles and slid in deep, rubbing and searching until that throbbing spot was rubbed and a pleasured grunt hit the back of his throat, his hips twitching as his cock gave a small little spurt in threat inside Sephiroth’s mouth. 

“S-Sephir-” Cloud’s swallowed, cutting off his wheezing words as the General began to finger fuck him, thrusting and rubbing against that sweet spot that made the blonde’s vision fill with white spots as pleasure burned hot through his body, making his cock throb worse in threat while further stimulated by the tight sucking of his mate’s lips sliding up and down his dick. Too much stimulation, it was burning him alive as the silverette rubbed harder against that sensitive bundle of nerves and moans broke free into the room, labored with breath as a far too devious tongue rubbed at the leaking slit of Cloud’s cock. So close, winding to tight the thread was about to snap. 

“I-I’m gonna cum,” Cloud panted. The increasing throbs that grew stronger in urgency were his only warning before Cloud tensed, lips parting in a gasp as cum shot hot and heavy into Sephiroth’s expectant mouth. The tide of orgasm broke, leaving the blonde quivering and tense as slick juices wet the General’s still rubbing finger while he swallowed Cloud’s ejection and let the softening, wet prick slip from his lips. 

Cloud sagged, rasping for breath, and despite his quick release the shudders working through his muscles refused to ebb as his fever refused to fade. Sephiroth slid up the blonde’s body, grabbed his lover’s jaw, and sealed their lips together. The blonde resisted another hard shudder as the smell of Sephiroth’s arousal fell over him thick and heavy, inducing a renewed twitch in his already spent dick. Sephiroth moved back from Cloud slightly, his knees leaning on the mattress as his hands quickly worked his pants loose and pulled his straining dick free from the slot in his briefs. The silverette stared down at the blonde, his eyes looking wild as he gave his long, thick cock a squeeze as his muscled chest heaved in his breaths and Cloud’s mouth watered. Finally, the blonde found he was able to get his shirt off his wrists and lifted his legs and spread them as wide as he could. The throbbing was still there, he hadn’t been satisfied at all, and Cloud wondered briefly if he would feel satisfied at all until his heat was over. Pleasure glazed Sephiroth’s gaze as he held eye contact while reaching off to the side and tearing the bag open before breaking open the box of condoms. 

As soon as the small packaged rubber was in sight, Cloud looked over and took it from the General’s hand, tore the package open with his teeth, and moved his hands forward. Blue eyes watched, almost seeming to cross as his vision swam while he pressed the semi-transparent condom over the beautifully flushed, leaking head of his lover’s cock. It was incredibly warm and heavy in his hands, and the veins that strained beneath the surface of skin made it all the more enthralling to look at as he slid the rubber snug over Sephiroth’s hot flesh, not all missing the way the silverette’s breath stuttered above him. When his fingers reached the base where the General’s hands waited, a barely perceivable trembling working through the digits they snatched Cloud’s own fingers before their hands slid together. The blonde looked up, and wild eyes green held his gaze as Sephiroth slid forward, the strength of his grip holding the blonde’s hands to his, palm to palm as their bodies laid down and pressed against one another, the silverette’s throbbing cock pressed against Cloud’s hip. After locking lips for an impassioned moment, Sephiroth pressed the blonde’s hands down to the bedspread and leaned against his ear, his voice an unsteady, rumbling purr as he spoke.

“Mine,” the way the low tones of his voice vibrated against Cloud’s ear made the blonde’s heart race again while his cock began to twitch and swell with renewed life as he felt himself wet more, no doubt there was a wet spot growing on the bed where he sat. His cheeks flushed in pleasure as the silverette kissed the shell of his ear while his hands slid free from Cloud’s and down his body. Sephiroth’s right hand slid down the inside of the blonde’s thigh while a finger from his left hand slid teasingly along Cloud’s elongated, swelling cock before taking up his corresponding thigh. The blonde stared up into those intensely focused green eyes, and the way Sephiroth’s lips smiled induced a powerful shudder as Cloud’s legs were hooked around his back and he bent over the blonde. Sephiroth’s right hand grabbed hold of his heavy cock while his left angled Cloud’s hips, and the blonde adjusted his balance on his elbows to better accommodate before he felt the head of Sephiroth’s cock prod at his wet hole. Cloud bit on his bottom lip and took in a deep, shaky breath as his cock came to rest against his belly when his hips were angled high, it felt good, the way he felt the ring of muscles started to give and stretch open. 

A groan slithered from the back of the blonde’s throat as a low moan of pleasure oozed from Sephiroth when the head of his cock broke through the blonde’s tight stroking muscles and slid forward. Cloud’s head fell back, the muscles of his back twitching as his insides spread open wide around his lover’s dick and it forced him apart, filled him to capacity, pushing deeper and deeper. Once in far enough, Sephiroth leaned forward on the bed, balanced on his hands and knees as his hips pushed down forward until he pushed against Cloud’s prostate, drawing forth a pleasured moan from the blonde whose cock fully hardened in response. Sephiroth didn’t stop his relentless pushing until he was balls deep and halted himself before a shaky, pleasured breath passed from his lips and fanned Cloud’s face. Slowly relaxing onto his back, Cloud groaned in satisfaction, it felt so good to be full, it was different than normal, better, and he knew that when Sephiroth started rubbing inside of him, it was only going to feel even more amazing.

“Cloud,” Sephiroth whispered in a low, heavy voice and the blonde gave a soft, gravely sound in response. “You always, squeeze me so tight, sometimes I worry I’ll break you,” the General said and the blonde groaned as arousal flared hotter, his cock throbbing worse while the muscles of his hole clenched, drawing forth a catch of breath from the silverette. 

“I’m tougher than I look,” Cloud panted after the moment passed and the silverette bowed his head and back, sneaking in for a chaste kiss of lips before he pulled back up.

“I’m going to start now,” Sephiroth informed as if to give a warning, and Cloud nodded in pleasure as he hooked his legs more securely around his mate’s back and adjusted himself just slightly. The General dragged his cock backward through the tightness of his lover’s hole, pulling the blonde’s legs to straighten more with his movement, and drawing forth a strained moan from both while Cloud shuddered when his sweet spot was given a good, hard stroke. Sephiroth thrust his cock back forward through the tight stroking muscles the swallowed him and the silverette groaned with his mate as the blonde’s thigh muscles tightened at his sides. 

“Faster,” Cloud panted as his hands lifted and grabbed hold of the blanket behind his head. With a nod Sephiroth picked up his pace, pulling his cock back until the tip remained before sliding forward again. He set into a rhythm, rubbing faster and harder into the pliant, wanting body presented before him while Cloud grabbed the blanket harder and panted, face flushed with pleasure while his body bounced with every thrust of cock that filled him up repeatedly. Sephiroth leaned heavily on his hands, hips thrusting with increased momentum, low, breathy moans of pleasure slipping from his lips each time his cock was stroked with the tight, twitching muscles of Cloud’s hole. The blonde’s cock leaked against his belly as it bounced with very rock and jerk of his body, and as the silverette’s thrusts grew more robust the mattress joined them as it creaked and shook with the General’s fast-paced thrusts. Moans broke from the back of Cloud’s wide-open lips, eyes pulling up as his head leaned back, the tenderness of his throat exposed as the sweat that poured from their pores wet their bodies, making the sound of flesh slapping together even louder as the sounds of rigorous fucking bounced off the walls of the apartment. 

Cloud’s toes curled, muscles tensing and quivering as his back twitched and cock throbbed every time his prostate was rubbed hard. Gasped moans dragged through the blonde’s dry throat as he used his legs to pull Sephiroth what he could harder against him, wanting more, wanting faster; it felt so good, just a little faster, a little harder. Perhaps understanding the purpose of the incessant pulling, Sephiroth thrust harder, and a moan broke apart in Cloud’ throat, followed by some garbled attempt to say a name as his hips thrust back against the General who released a low, feral growl and increased the speed of his thrusts, rubbing his cock viciously into the trembling, wet hole that happily swallowed him whole. It was boiling again, all throughout Cloud’s body, clawing at his mind and tunneling its way to the surface. The blonde’s muscles twisted tighter, the throbbing and blaring surge of pleasure pulsing hotter through his blood, warning of the coming orgasm. 

One particularly hard strike along his sweet spot smashed through whatever containment Cloud had and his back arched magnificently, his throbbing, twitching cock exploding cum in thick streams over his clenched belly as the muscles of his body tightened while his hole quivered and clamped down in twitching massages over the cock sliding into it. A hiss break from the silverette’s lips as he pulled his cock back through the massaging squeeze of his mate’s spasming body before thrusting back in as deep as the primal functions of his brain ordered and tensed. Orgasm smashed through his senses as the two came to a sudden stop while cum shot from Sephiroth’s cock in a thick, heavy burst into the condom, nearly overflowing before the torrent of drained from them both. Finally able to swallow and wet their dry throats, the two found their muscles relaxing before Sephiroth pulled his soft cock free and rid himself of the condom in a more messy fashion than usual as he tossed it into the trash and flopped onto his back by Cloud. The two relaxed for a moment, panting to recover their breaths as their thundering heartbeats began to slow. 

Cloud, however, grunted as his brows twisted in frustration. He felt immensely better, but he could feel that the raging fire inside his body had only shrunk, and knew it was only waiting to flare up again. He rolled onto his side and stared at Sephiroth’s relaxed, sweaty profile. 

“You said my heat would be better,” Cloud muttered, his words still slightly labored with breath. 

“This is only your third heat, correct?” Sephiroth asked, his breaths even and deep through his words. 

“Yeah,” the blonde answered. 

“You were in omega square, on drugs your previous two until the ending of your second,” Sephiroth said and the blonde gave a weak nod. “So you have never experienced your heat raw before,” the silverette continued and Cloud frowned. 

“I get it,” the blonde said, slightly bitter in tone. Sephiroth’s eyes finally slid open before he rolled over and looked at the blonde, his pupils still blown into fully rounded circles. 

“This is also still only your third heat, and you’re a late bloomer,” the General said. Cloud remained silent and motionless as he stared at the bedspread between them. 

“You said before my heat was really severe. Because I'm a late bloomer?” Cloud asked and Sephiroth smiled as he touched his mate’s cheek and drew blue eyes to his own.

“I think so. I wouldn’t be so upset though, if you’re feeling horny at all, I’m here to help you feel good all you want, something a lot of omegas don’t get. I even get to have a week’s paid Bonded Leave just for you, so I’m not going anywhere. Anything you want, I’m here for it. Even if it’s to buy you random or weird foods,” Sephiroth said and the blonde’s face pinched a little. 

“What? Am I supposed to have weird food cravings during my heat like I’m pregnant?” Cloud asked somewhat sarcastically. Sephiroth chuckled softly. 

“Like I said, whatever you want,” the General reaffirmed.


	17. Heart To Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of a ravenous heat Cloud brings up a touchy subject that has been left hanging in the air too long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Thank you all for reading, leaving your comments and kudos!
> 
> Another smutty scene with a bit of a serious heart to heart.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

Sephiroth lay on his back with his cellphone pressed to his ear. Cloud sat on his shins, hands running down the General’s thighs as his lips caught the head of his mate’s cock. A grunt slipped from the silverette’s lips as his left hand slid into the blonde’s spiked locks. 

“General Sephiroth, good morning,” his secretary greeted and the General took a concerted effort to steady his breathing.

“I’m calling you to inform you to,” the silverette’s breath caught, “file the paperwork for Bonded Leave for me,” Sephiroth said, his jaw clenching immediately afterword when Cloud’s tongue brushed over the leaking head of his naked cock. 

“Oh? So your mate is in heat then. All right then, I will put in the paperwork. I presume Zack Fair will be in soon?” the woman asked and Sephiroth pulled the phone from his head for a second as he worked to control his vocal cords before returning it to his ear. 

“Yes, he will be, or else I’ll reprimand him,” he said. “I must go. Call me if anything happens, if I don’t answer leave a message and I’ll return it,” the silverette blurted out before hanging up. His head fell back onto his pillow as he dropped his phone on the bedside table by the torn open condom box while Cloud’s lips sucked down the length of his dick, slowly trying to take in more than the last time he had tried. Blown wide pupils gazed down at the blonde as Sephiroth’s hand massaged his lover’s scalp. 

“You’re being very stubborn so suddenly. I thought you wanted me to fuck you,” Sephiroth said before Cloud released the silverette’s cock and looked up at him as he sat up while using the back of his wrist to wipe some spittle from his reddened, kiss swollen lips. A powerful twitch came to the silverette’s dick from such a sight, in particular the smoky look in his blonde’s sky blue eyes. 

“You said you had a call to make,” Cloud said, his voice rough from the constant vocal exercises he’d engaged in off and on all morning. The blonde had fallen asleep for a couple hours after their initial coupling before waking up and wanting to be touched again. There was a lot to learn when his mate was in such a high level of arousal. He was quite demanding and a bit grabby, which the silverette did recall from their meeting in the alley a month before. And he loved being touched, stroked all over, his skin appeared to be incredibly sensitive during heat, so much so the mere feeling of physical contact was almost euphoric. A smirk curved the General’s lips.

“And that was the perfect time to suck my dick? That was rather sadistic of you,” Sephiroth said with a playful, taunting purr to his voice as he sat up and placed the tip of his long index finger under the blonde’s chin. With the barest of a push, the blonde tilted his head back but kept his eyes locked with the General’s. The intoxicating, sweet smell of Cloud’s heat had saturated the entire apartment already, drowning the silverette’s brain in a pleasurable cocktail of drugs that made even thinking about something as basic as food difficult. Naked, sweaty, and flushed the blonde was a vision of beauty; even the way his cock jutted up and dripped pre-cum from its swollen red head. A slender body of tight muscle sat before him, eye-catching pink nipples rigid to the air as his chest heaved. The only thing Sephiroth found he cared about was fucking his mate until they expired. Cloud’s pink dusted cheeks darkened and he averted his eyes before speaking. 

“It… it smells good,” Cloud muttered in a soft whisper, but the General’s ears picked it up and a hum left his lips. 

“Oh? Is that so?” he asked with a sultry purr as he leaned forward until the tip of his nose almost grazed his mate’s cheek while he angled his head up to breath against his lover’s ear. 

“I-it’s the bond’s fault. Everything about you smells good,” Cloud blurted, awkward even as his breathing increased no doubt with his heartbeat. Sephiroth inhaled in deep through the nose and released a low, soft moan. 

“Yes, and I guess my cock smells best, hm?” Sephiroth asked and the stutter of breath shot a thrill through the General. His lips quirked up higher into a more devious smile. “So, very, cute,” the silverette said, lips grazing his blonde’s ear and earning a shudder. 

“Ph-pheromones,” Cloud panted and Sephiroth chuckled. 

“Trying to find excuses now, Cloud? You started this conversation,” the silverette reminded and a groan struggled from behind the blonde’s tight closed lips as his brows twisted up in discomfort. 

“Just, please, you said you’d do whatever I wanted,” Cloud panted and Sephiroth chuckled as his tongue darted out and licked at the shell of his mate’s ear before speaking. 

“Yes, I did, didn’t I? Well then, do you want to suck my cock, or have it rubbing inside you?” A look of indecision crossed the blonde’s features and the silverette watched, surprised, and fascinated by what he saw. Cloud, of course, smelled amazing, it was enthralling the way the scent of his mate filled up the space of his lungs and pulled him forward, excited him to touch, beckoned him to cherish. Sephiroth placed his nose against the side of Cloud’s throat and inhaled. The sweet, pleasurable scent that filled his nose, sparked a delicious rush of arousal through his body that made his cock throb and drool in lust. 

“Sephiroth?” Cloud panted, confused as the silverette’s hands moved and slid down his lover’s slender frame. Pushing the blonde down, the General slid his legs free from under him and kissed the rigid formation of the six-pack Cloud was developing. Sephiroth made his way south, making sure to indulge in the gratifying scent pouring from his sweaty flesh as his mate’s breath twitched and muscles spasmed under his lips. The blonde always smelled amazing, always enticing, it made every fiber of Sephiroth’s being ache to be near him. Hands touched his face, stopping the silverette from his downward path and he looked up, wild green meeting hazed blue. 

“I want you,” Cloud panted, “I want you in me,” he said as he grabbed Sephiroth’s right hand. The General pulled his hand free and lifted up before he twisted to grab a condom from the table behind him. 

“All right, finally made up your mind, hm?” he asked as he tore the package open and worked it over his strained flesh. Cloud swallowed as he laid down flat and spread his legs, heart thrumming hard in his chest as his skin darkened with blood risen to the surface. His cock throbbed against his belly, demanding for attention, but in that same moment the blonde couldn’t stop watching the way Sephiroth’s long fingers slipped the rubber over his cock. He had never paid attention before, a dick was a dick, it wasn’t special, but something about his mate’s prick was enthralling on a primal level. Never had Cloud thought a cock beautiful, but without a doubt, the width and length, the slight curve to the left, and the prominent vein that throbbed to prominence from beneath the plumed head down the shaft before curving down to his heavy testicles deserved the utilization of the descriptor of beauty. When the blonde’s eyes slid up the pale, chiseled beauty of the SOLDIER’s body they caught the penetrating gaze of his lover and the blonde felt his heart jump into his throat; he’d been caught. Like a kid with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Cloud felt his cheeks burn and he tore his eyes away. 

“You’re so cute, Cloud,” Sephiroth’s low, sultry voice purred as he moved down onto his hands and knees and placed a kiss to the blonde’s bite mark, and a small, electric zip of pleasure spread out from the bite, drawing forth a groan from the blonde as his cock twitched in lust.

“Cute is not a word a guy wants to be called,” the blonde declared unevenly, even though the very notes of his mate’s voice made his ass and dick throb and wet more. Sephiroth chuckled as his right hand slid down to the blonde’s hip before sliding up the inside of his thigh, inducing a series of spidering shudders through his body. Grabbing the blonde’s knee the General lifted it over his shoulder before he slid his fingers down to Cloud’s soaking wet hole and pushed his finger inside while leaning down over his mate. A groan slithered passed the blonde’s lips as arousal pulsed hotter inside him and his drooling cock. 

“Then why don’t you show me that ‘oh’, moment face of yours?” Sephiroth whispered, the long bangs of his hair sliding around Cloud’s face as his finger slid in deep and rubbed at the open secret bundle of nerves that sent sharp sparks of pleasure all through the blonde’s cock and nervous system, inducing a tightening of his back muscles as a moan wrangled from his lips, which were immediately kissed. “Show me all your sexy parts,” the General whispered against his lover’s lips before giving Cloud’s prostate another hard rub that parted the blonde’s lips to release a stuttered moan. Cloud’s hands snapped up and grabbed onto Sephiroth’s shoulders as his hips bucked awkwardly against the General’s penetrating finger thanks to his suspended leg as a hiss passed from his lips. 

“Stop, teasing!” the blonde gasped and the silverette chuckled as he slid his finger free and grabbed the base of his cock.

“All right, all right,” Sephiroth said as he pressed the head of his cock against the wet, twitching hole he angled toward up toward him. Cloud collapsed, panting on his back as his fingers grabbed the bedding at his sides. “I’ll give you exactly what you want,” the General said as he pushed into the muscles, watching in fascination as the swollen puckered ring easily flowered open around him. A loud groan passed from Cloud’s lips before he swallowed and then parted his swollen lips in another pant. Soaked in sweat and flushed with heat and pleasure, the blonde was a delicious sight to behold as his body spread open wide around Sephiroth’s dick, sucking him in deep, greedy to made full of cock as the silverette sank deeper and deeper. Sephiroth abandoned his hold on his cock and grabbed the blonde’s other leg and pressed both out to the side as he let his weight push him in deeper while enjoying the raunchy sight of being sucked inside. He knew he’d reached the blonde’s sweet spot when the muscles of Cloud’s hole squeezed him a moment as the blonde groaned and twitched his back off the bed, and smirked as he sank down up to his balls. 

Cloud panted on his back, eyes glazed and out of focus as he wiped at the sweat running down his brow and stared up at the silverette. Pleasure lit up the silverette’s wild pupil blown eyes as he adjusted his balance on his knees and drew his hips back, groaning in pleasure as the blonde’s tight hole stroked the length of his cock while the blonde released his own moan of pleasure. Sephiroth slid back in with a push of his hips until their bodies smacked together, bouncing the blonde who gave a grunt that broke into a pleasured, wet groan. Arousal throbbed hot through Sephiroth’s body as he set into rhythm, pumping his cock into the tight, quivering, wet hole of his mate, rubbing against that sweet spot that made the blonde jerk and moan beneath him, unraveled and lost in carnal pleasure. The silverette quickly found himself wanting to thrust faster and abandoned his hold on the blonde’s thighs to lean on his hands. His hips jerked fast, pushing his cock forward and sliding back at increasing speeds that drew breathy, low moans from both as the mattress violently shook with their movements. 

“S-Sephir-” Cloud’s voice choked as his legs lifted and attempted to pull harder, the musculature of his body tensing to impressive definition every time he was thrust into and his sweet spot was struck. Breath scraped from the backs of their throats as open, breathy moans bounced into the air with the increasing friction of Sephiroth’s cock rubbing furiously into the demanding, pliant body beneath him. Pleasure burned hot through their bodies, overflowing and threatening to break free in an explosive display as they moved, Cloud unable to do anything due to the wonderful zeal of Sephiroth’s thrusting cock rubbing inside him while the silverette drowned in the pleasure that coursed through his body, overloading every sensory nerve he possessed. 

“I-I’m gonna-” Cloud rasped, muscles winding tight as his bouncing cock gave warning throbs, the heat was building too strong, too hot. A growl erupted from deep within the silverette’s throat as orgasm clawed at him, urging the silverette abandoned any semblance of rhythm and mindlessly pump his cock into the tight grip of his mate, increasing the friction across over sensitized nerves. Tighter and tighter it knotted inside Cloud, until the tension of impending orgasm snapped free, releasing a potent rush of heat that tightened every muscle in the blonde’s body as his throbbing cock burst forth a thick shot of cum that splattered his heaving chest. The blonde’s muscles wound taut with tension as the twitching of his hole massaged Sephiroth’s cock, causing the silverette’s jaw to set tight as the firm squeeze of muscles he thrust into urged a violent milking of his dick, cum shooting heavy into the condom as he tensed over his mate while orgasm flooded his senses. After a long, drawn out moment the two were able to relax taxed muscles, after which the General pulled his soft cock free from his mate, removed the rubber, tied it off and forced his muscles to move forward and dump the trash into the waste bin that had been placed at the center of the end of the bed. Sephiroth sat back on his feet as the blonde rolled over, both catching their breath. After a second Cloud moved over to the General and laid his head on his lover’s thigh. 

“Feel better?” Sephiroth asked as he brushed the blonde’s sweaty bangs stuck to his forehead away. An incoherent moan came from Cloud and a small smile graced the silverette’s lips. After a couple minutes the two laid down with the blonde’s head upon the General’s chest. Sephiroth’s hand stroked down Cloud’s drying back as they soaked in the bliss of post-coitus. 

“Sephiroth?” Cloud asked, his voice a mumble as he rubbed his cheek against his mate’s chest to remove a building itch before looking up at him. Sephiroth gave a hum of acknowledgment, though his eyes were closed.

“Why don’t you want kids?” the blonde asked and the silverette’s brows tensed before his eyelids slid up, long lashes fanning the air as he stared up at the ceiling. 

“I already told you, didn’t I?” the General said. Though the blonde’s muscles protested moving around, Cloud sat up on his hip and stared down at the silverette. 

“But why don’t you think you should pass your genes on? I know that it’s rude to pry. But, it’s important too,” Cloud said, his voice falling into a soft mutter toward the end. Sephiroth took in a deep breath that filled his chest and released it slowly. 

“Because, there’s something wrong with me,” the General said and the blonde stared in surprise. “I’m not, normal. Ever since I was a child I knew there was something wrong with me. Something unnatural. Something, inhuman,” Sephiroth explained. “I’ve never known any real family. All I know of my mother is the name Jenova. I don’t even know of any genetic defects that I could bring to a child because I have no family history,” he added. 

“Who cares if you’re different,” Cloud declared, drawing the silverette’s gaze to his face. The blonde averted his gaze. “I’ve always,” he paused, “admired you, you know. I wanted to be just like you, though I knew, being a beta made that impossible,” Cloud said. “I’m actually, a fan of yours. Even before the Wutai war. Before you were known for anything and you were introduced as a new SOLDIER; I just knew you were going to be great,” Cloud said, his voice faltering some as his heart started to race in awkwardness. Sephiroth sat up, staring intently at his lover’s face and the blonde felt his cheeks burn as he lowered his head and turned to look away and hide his embarrassment. “I kept tabs on you too, there’s an embarrassing amount of newspaper and magazine clippings in my room back home,” Cloud continued. He wished he’d stop, he was starting to get dizzy, and realized he wasn’t exactly breathing. “I thought you were, beautiful,” he said further and squeezed his eyes shut. He needed to just shut his mouth, but he was unable to stop the word vomit from pouring out of his mouth. 

“Y-you were my inspiration. During training, you were what drove me to try my hardest even when things got really hard. I wanted to be the best. I wanted to be, like you-” Cloud was saved by his own incessant lip flapping when his face met the edge of a shoulder as hair brushed over his face and arms encircled him tight.

“You don’t need to say anymore,” Sephiroth said, his voice soft.

“But, I want you to know, I don’t care where you come from, what roots you sprung up from. If you’re different, so what? It doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Kids are way off in the future, but I do want some. And it would be amazing, if I could have some with you,” Cloud said, his voice somewhat muffled as he blinked back an unexpected surge of heat in his eyes as his heart fluttered in his chest. The blonde bit on the inside of his lips, unable to understand where the sudden rush of emotion came from. Was it because of Sephiroth holding him? Was it because he was fully expressing himself? Or did it have to do with his heat? Or the way, and he almost missed it, but he could tell that Sephiroth’s breaths were slightly shaky. After the moment dragged on long enough for Cloud to feel some stiffness forming in his back he lifted his hands and pressed them to the General’s chest.

“Sephiroth?”

“I appreciate your words, Cloud,” Sephiroth said finally. The blonde allowed himself to relax then and leaned into the silverette’s chest as he turned his head to the side and looked out towards the kitchen. The two stayed still like that for a few minutes longer before the silverette released Cloud. The blonde looked up when his left cheek was cupped and their eyes locked before Sephiroth leaned down and kissed his lips, a gesture the blonde returned. When they pulled apart, a gentle smiled curved Sephiroth’s lips. 

“Let’s take a shower,” the silverette suggested and a small smile quirked the blonde’s lips. 

“Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cloud still doesn't have an answer... maybe Sephiroth will come around with an answer in the future.


	18. Intimate Words and Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth and Cloud boldly explore each other more than ever before, furthering their understanding of one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and leaving comments and kudos! It really means a lot! 
> 
> Sephiroth and Cloud spend a bit more time learning about one another in this chapter.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

Breath scraped past Cloud’s try throat as his hands gripped the was cloth rail in an attempt to keep himself steady. He would have been more embarrassed if he hadn’t started burning with heat all over again. But at current, the feeling of Sephiroth’s cock sliding with loud, sucking sounds into his wet hole as warm water poured over them made the blonde lose any care at all for how his ass was hiked in the air, two powerful hands tight in their grip on his hips. Bent over, the blonde’s face flushed with not only the burning heat rushing through his blood, but the heat of the shower and pleasure that coursed through his body as he stared down, watching his cock bounce with every thrust of his mate’s dick filling him deep. Sephiroth’s breath puffed against the back of Cloud’s head from where he stood, working his hips in rapid succession against his lover’s ass, cock pushing and pulling deep inside of his blonde’s body, rubbing deliciously against his prostate.

“Cloud,” Sephiroth’s voice was a low, throaty rumble of pleasure accentuated by his heaving breaths as his hair slid and stuck to his backside while his bangs had taken to clinging to his face. Cloud’s usually soft spikes draped down his skull, thick and flat with water as his bangs plastered to his face. Cloud panted and moaned out stifled, broken sounds in his attempts to control his voice even as the General adjusted the angle of the blonde’s hips and thrust in at such an angle that white spots burst into the blonde’s vision as a wet, choking moan broke from his throat. 

“Se-Seph-I,” Cloud swallowed, it was maddening the feel of coursing rushing through him, his cock was throbbing so hard, pulsing strong in threat of the coming orgasm. Sephiroth’s fingers dug deeper into the skin of Cloud’s hips with a sudden increase in the speed of his stroking cock and Cloud’s already swimming vision nearly distorted on a whole new level as pleasure spiked higher, stronger, to the point of boiling. He was going to cum, the dam was going to explode apart, and though the blonde parted his lips to say something, a hard, wonderful strike delivered against his prostate tore apart anything resembling conscious thought in his mind as orgasm tore free, a cry scraping past his lips as every muscle in his body wound tight while cum shot hard and heavy from his pulsing, bouncing cock and hitting the shower wall which the water began to slowly wash down.

A grunted groan of pleasure hit Cloud’s ears when Sephiroth slammed his hips tight against his ass, burying the head of his rubber-wrapped cock deep inside of him before tensing and shuddering as orgasm ran its course through his lover. It was only after the tension of orgasm faded that the blonde realized just how hard his mate had been holding him when he felt the pinch of the silverette’s nails as they pulled from his skin. Sephiroth’s arms encircled Cloud’s lithe, muscular body and the two moved back before the blonde found them hitting the far back wall and sliding down to the bottom of the shower opposite of the shower head. The blonde sat in his mate’s lap and leaned against the General’s expansive, heaving chest as each sought to regain composure. It was only roughly a minute later that Sephiroth’s arms left the blonde to remove the half slid off condom and tossed it in a tired fashion to the front of the shower. 

“Condoms always sounded annoying,” Cloud muttered and a soft hum of agreement came from the silverette. 

“A necessity, unfortunately,” the General mumbled as his arms wrapped around the blonde again before the smaller of the two felt weight settle on top of his head while a tick wet curtain of dark silver hair fell around him.

“I guess, if there’s anything better this time around, I think I’m more in control,” Cloud sighed.

“Yes, though I’ve only experienced your heat briefly once before. You were very incoherent and desperate to be taken, which didn’t help my self-control,” Sephiroth said back in a soft, sated voice. 

“I wonder what would have happened if I had made it SOLDIER 3rd and been given mako enhancements,” Cloud said. “Maybe I wouldn’t have been treated the same way,” he added. 

“You would have been treated differently all right. You would have been discharged and probably actually sent home,” Sephiroth answered. Cloud shifted slightly. 

“Even though I was good enough to make SOLDIER? Wouldn’t that have made me more desirable?” the blonde asked. 

“Mako injections overwhelming destroy an omega’s ability to breed. Unlike sperm which is generated at the time of sexual release, omega males, just like women, carry with them a set number of eggs that they are born with. Which is why, if the government were able to x-ray all children we would know right away who is an omega. But due to personal privacy laws and parental protection and raising rights, they can’t. Though you’d think ShinRa would find a way around it,” Sephiroth said before the weight left Cloud’s head along with the sweep of hair as the General leaned back against the shower wall. The blonde twisted around the two looked into one another’s eyes. Cloud stared, eyes focused sharply on his mate’s face as his heart picked up the strength of its beat. Had he been close to destroying his ability to have kids? If he had made it, he could have lost something before he even knew he had it. The though was unsettling.

“So, does mako destroy eggs then?” Cloud asked. 

“I can’t say that much, probably not physically though. But, it renders the eggs infertile, useless. The only reason why women were not explored more in terms of their ability to join SOLDIER, especially Alpha women, was due to the severe reproductive harm mako imposes upon eggs,” Sephiroth explained and the blonde frowned as he took a breath to calm his heart. 

“Damm,” Cloud muttered as he looked down at and found his eyes focused on the long, snow white leg bent around him. A hand to his cheek drew the blonde’s eyes up.

“If you want to have children, you must stay away from mako,” Sephiroth said in a grave voice and the blonde nodded. 

“It’s disappointing, but, well, even if the idea of getting pregnant personally is too much right now, I do want kids someday. And the only way to do that now is if I get pregnant myself, so I will definitely be mindful of that stuff,” Cloud informed. Sephiroth’s hand left the blonde’s cheek and the silverette lifted his eyes up to the shower head. 

“It’s not like it’s necessarily that easy to get your hands on mako outside of ShinRa, but it can happen,” the General informed as his arms pulled Cloud closer. It was noted that the silverette was being unusually clingy, the blonde allowed himself to enjoy the intimacy as he sagged onto his mate’s chest. 

“Just one more reason why I will not allow Hojo to have you. Not Avalanche, not anyone. No one will have you. I will burn everything to the ground if someone takes you or harms you, I mean it,” Sephiroth said and Cloud tensed slightly. 

“What would you do if I actually did disappear?” the blonde asked even though he was uncomfortable with the topic, but suddenly in need of an answer as anxiety began to twist his heart. 

“I will find you. However long it takes, wherever it takes me. And I will destroy anything that gets in my way. I will not stop until I am dead, or you are in my arms, safe,” Sephiroth answered. And though it was cheesy and verbose, Cloud was torn between pleasure and discomfort at his mate’s proclamations. Because he just knew, the General meant it, he had made too many similar statements in the past and seemed far too prone to such trains of thought. If something bad happened, Sephiroth might really do awful things to exact revenge. Cloud swallowed, sat up and turned around on his knees in between his mate’s crossed legs, his hands resting on the man’s strong shoulders. 

“You are intense, did you know that? Just… don’t to go maniacal crazy on everyone and find me, okay?” the blonde asked and a smile quirked Sephiroth’s lips. 

“I will do my best not to become a mustache twirling villain,” the silverette confirmed and a small smile quirked Cloud’s lips. As the blonde bent his head down, the General lifted his in anticipation, and their lips met. The contact lingered a moment before mouths opened and tongues slipped together, stroking, curling and sliding together as lips sealed tight. After a long moment, lips broke apart and Cloud sat down once again with his back against his lover’s chest. Glancing down the tub toward the drain where the condom lay, the blonde laughed slightly. 

“Did you ever have to wear a condom with your Alpha partners before?” Cloud asked and a chuckle vibrated through the silverette’s chest. 

“Not really. Due to close health observations by the science division, there was never really any need to worry. And due to the presence of mako in our bodies, most diseases do not survive for very long, if at all. Makes you wonder just how wise it is to have it flowing through our veins if it kills everything that enters our bodies. Anyone that does develop a health problem is immediately separated and treated; if treatment does not work, they are discharged with full benefits provided the circumstances,” Sephiroth explained. 

“So basically you had a lot of bareback sex, then?” Cloud asked and the General chuckled again. 

“Not really. I tended to have long periods of abstinence. I focused on my work, and because I hate to engage with others, I only sought a partner when I absolutely needed it,” Sephiroth explained. “There is a bar located just off the ShinRa building meant for all ShinRa staff. Over the years the upper floor has become dominated by SOLDIER, typically Seconds and Firsts. The room ended up developing a natural separation, on the left side was where you went when you wanted sex and nothing more. On the right was where normal drinking activity and parties took place, which is also where all the pool tables, dartboards, and such are located. I always went to the left, sat down, and waited. I only ever approached another SOLDIER once, when I was extremely impatient and had something to do in an hour,” the silverette said before giving a small laugh. “It’s what officially broke the ice between Zackary and myself too,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud twited his torso and stared up at him, surprised. 

“Wait, did you two?” the blonde asked, astonished. 

“No. We had met during a mission. It was sometime later when Zackary walked into the bar and wandered over to the left unknowing of what it was used for. He was actually approached rather quickly, which I will admit, made me a bit irritated at the time since my mood wasn’t particularly good to start with. I ended up helping him diffuse the situation by talking the approaching man down and informing Fair what being on that side of the bar signified to everyone there and he bashfully went to the other side,” Sephiroth explained. 

“Wow,” Cloud mumbled as he righted himself and stared down at his feet. “So… you ever bring anyone here to your apartment?” Cloud asked. “I mean, if my questions aren’t getting annoying,” he added. 

“No, I’m not annoyed. It’s not so strange to be curious. I don’t prescribe the thought that I need to act like I never engaged in adult activities before I met you,” the silverette informed. “So, to answer your question. No, I never brought anyone here. The very idea of having a man I did not even care to look in the face of in my bed wasn’t something I wanted. Sex was usually carried out in their place, a bathroom stall,” Cloud’s mouth fell open a bit as his cheeks pinked, “an office if it was close by,” Sephiroth finished. Cloud looked around the shower and into the rest of the bathroom due to the bizarre lack of a shower curtain. Though the floor had a very large mat to soak up the water, the blonde wondered if they should get one. It was a weird design choice.

“Um, you ever… been on the receiving end?” Cloud asked, awkward. 

“Once. I have this… intense dislike of having anything probe my ass. Not because of any emotional reason. I tried it once, and I simply do not like the sensation. I get agitated and do not enjoy it. While my prostate is healthy, I don’t find it pleasurable,” Sephiroth said in a firm voice, indicating his clear opinion on the matter while leaving no room for argument. A small laugh caught the back of Cloud’s throat.

“Got it. I don’t know if I’d want to do it that way anyway. I always end up really wanting to uh, you know,” Cloud said, becoming a bit awkward toward the end of his statement. A smile curved Sephiroth’s lips. 

“You mean wanting to be fucked by me?” the General asked and the blonde averted his eyes to the side.

“Yeah,” Cloud muttered softly. 

“What about you? Have you had any sexual experiences before now?” the silverette asked. Cloud felt his cheeks heat in embarrassment. Unlike Sephiroth’s apparent wild experience, the blonde had absolutely nothing of the kind to share. Cloud bit on the inside of his top lip. 

“Uh, not really,” the blonde said as his heart rate increased with his embarrassment. “I got, forced to hold hands with a girl when I was ten. And we kissed each others’ cheeks like it was some big grown-up act,” As Cloud spoke he felt increasingly aware of how innocent he sounded. His attempt to make fun of it was failing too due to how embarrassed he knew he sounded. A chuckle filled the air behind his head and the blonde frowned as his cheeks grew a bit hotter. 

“What about dates?” Sephiroth asked.

“I took Tifa to prom. I knew I was too anti-social to ever ask anyone and get a yes, and I never even tried because I figured I’d get turned down. Tifa thought prom wasn’t any different than any other community get together, but she said she’d go with me, and so we went,” Cloud explained. It was embarrassing to think about it now; he had cared more about prom than his date did. 

“Is this Tifa a close friend of yours?” Sephiroth asked, a curious note to his voice. 

“Yeah, I guess. She and I grew up together. But we didn’t like each other that way,” Cloud answered and a hum filled the air from the General.

“You sure about that?” Sephiroth asked. Cloud twisted and looked up at the silverette. 

“What are you implying? We were friends. I don’t think she ever liked me like that. She was always more interested in martial arts and being independent. I think she thought dating was a waste of her time,” Cloud answered as he looked away. 

“That’s your perception,” Sephiroth informed. “Did she ever explicitly tell you didn’t want to date?” 

“No, but she complained about out of town guys drooling over her all the time. And there were a couple locals that were dicks to her too,” Cloud said. 

“Sounds like she just had a problem with certain behaviors,” Sephiroth noted. 

“Do you want a love triangle?” Cloud asked, genuinely wondering by this point. The General chuckled. 

“Lucky for me, I don’t have to worry about anything like that. That mark on your neck means you are mine, and mine alone. But, I do want to know who I need to watch out for, beautiful small-town girl or not,” Sephiroth informed as Cloud fully sank back against him. 

“It’s nothing to worry about. As you said, we’re bonded. And I don’t like her that way. I kind of had a slight interest when we started puberty, but I think that was more like raging hormones and random boners,” the blonde said and Sephiroth chuckled. 

“Onset of puberty, no time more awkward for most people,” Sephiroth announced and the blonde nodded. 

“How was puberty for you?” Cloud asked. 

“I was heavily isolated through a great deal of my growing up. My experience with the onset of puberty was very clinical. I had a scientific break down of the entire reproductive system, the evolutionary and biological science of it, and the dynamics of omega, beta, and alpha people. It was during this time that I knew without a doubt, that my suspicions were true, that I was abnormal. There was a lot of bitterness and jerking off in my room at night,” Sephiroth informed. “I quickly realized I didn’t want a lover or children and hated my urges.” 

Cloud frowned, once again it seemed that the General had been able to weave a depressing story about his life. When his mom found out about the blonde’s first wet dream, which had been thanks to doing his laundry, she had made a big deal about it in a celebratory way. He was on my way to being a man she had said, and it had been embarrassing as hell. But Cloud supposed it was better than the cold, unfeeling way it sounded like Sephiroth had been introduced to the life of sexual maturity. Being awkward and embarrassed about jerking off was probably better than being bitter and unhappy. No wonder he didn’t have sex unless he had really needed it. 

“Then this whole thing between us must have been really upsetting,” Cloud muttered softly. 

“At first. I never wanted a relationship and I had bonded with someone I did not even know. I feared you would hate me, and I feared I would not like you. I feared our bond would be nothing but a source frustration and stress, like the horror stories I had heard from other Alphas,” Sephiroth lifted his hands to the blonde’s jaw and gently urged him to lift his head so that their eyes met, and smiled down at his mate. 

“You have no idea, how relieved I am that we are so compatible. I have, enjoyed having you at my side. And I am glad, that my fears have been put to rest.” Cloud stared up into Sephiroth’s eyes, those usually thin pupils still blown into wide open circles thanks to his heat. He was so perfect, like a doll, beautiful and so well made. Strong, poised, and elegant. A man that could probably do anything he wanted. It was beyond a miracle that he had such a man as his mate. His bond. It sometimes still felt like a dream, one he hoped he never woke up from it if were so, though all the bullshit leading up to it could be cut out. Cloud smiled and reached his hands up, touching the firm planes of his lover’s down turned face. 

“Yeah,” the blonde said and the silence that fell between their lips was filled by the sound of shower water.

“You know, Cloud. What you said earlier made me unexpectedly, really happy,” Sephiroth suddenly said. 

“What?” the blonde asked, already embarrassed by his earlier word vomit.

“You said you liked me when I was first introduced. Before I became known as the greatest Wutaian war hero. Before I was a General. You liked me, before anyone else even batted an eye,” Sephiroth explained.

“Other than to maybe gawk at my good looks,” he added with a chuckle. Cloud felt his heart flutter a bit. Truth be told, he had gawked too. There was no one, who could quite hold a candle to the General in terms of beauty. He was a rarity. Though in Sephiroth’s mind, that probably equaled abnormality. Cloud had definitely noticed his mate’s obsession with normalcy. After getting to know him, it made sense, but it was also sad. 

“I never thought I’d get the chance to meet you. I think, my life would have been complete just to hear you say hi to me. Asking for more would have been too selfish. But now, I get to have more than that. It still doesn’t feel real sometimes. I got really lucky, even if all the crap that led up to our meeting was the worst experience of my life. I guess the planet decided to reward me for my suffering,” Cloud said, his throat muscles and Adams apple working visible through the stretched column of skin. Sephiroth smiled. 

“The planet has been known to do mysterious things,” the General agreed.


	19. A Snippet in Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud has some fun as Sephiroth's expense, but Sephiroth gets a delightful reward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! It took a little longer to get done due to some outside issues, and that I got distracted with a Seph/Cloud one-shot I'm working on. An AU loosely based on events of the original game featuring a cruel Sephiroth ruling the planet as a divine king. lol So... if that sounds like your cup of tea, it'll be up whenever it's done, hopefully soon. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone that has read and enjoyed! Thank you all so much for all the comments and kudos!
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

The next three days were spent primarily in bed. Cloud’s heat continuously flared up, though in between peaks the blonde found himself in a constant state of desire regardless of how soon he had achieved release. There was a lot to learn about being in heat, and Cloud struggled with feeling ashamed by his obsession with sex, of his mate’s body, and being happy having Sephiroth ever eager to indulge him. By the time the symptoms wound down the blonde felt especially close to his bond: speaking of their pasts, secrets, and various opinions when Cloud was in a state of relative calm. All the discussions really helped him feel Sephiroth out more. His mate had no interest in glory, and in fact, seemed bothered by the fame he had won during his military career. Sephiroth was a man who liked calm and quiet, and as the two discovered, simple intimacy. He would rather work on a Chocobo ranch than deal with the hectic, violent lifestyle of ShinRa military, despite his habit of falling back on violent options to resolve problems It was a little hard to grapple with seeing such a different side of the war hero, and how it contrasted with not only his view of the man, but his own reflection on the life he had once pursued.

But as Cloud thought about it, the idea of living on a ranch or running a small business with Sephiroth in a small town far away from ShinRa was actually a welcoming thought. It also didn’t mean he had to give up the sword either, it was really common for small towns to need someone to wipe out the monsters in the area when they became too much of a problem, and the blonde fancied the idea of perhaps being able to offer such services. And maybe, if Sephiroth got over his hang up on his humanity, they would have kids running around. Cloud had always been fond of children, and despite his calm and at times almost stoic nature, kids seemed to like him too. But, daydreams aside, they were nowhere even near entertaining such ideas as possible in their current setting. Cloud was still being stalked by two different organizations, which Sephiroth reaffirmed by finding that the blonde’s file was still active in the science division database. 

Cloud also learned that Sephiroth really loved sex despite his previous lifestyle of avoiding the need until it was too much. There was never a shortage of cocky, horny statements that whispered from the General’s lips when the moment got particularly heated. He was also quite open to exploring different tastes that Cloud had refused primarily on the basis of not being able to think coherently enough to really know if he was up for it while in the grip of heat. That, and it was really, really embarrassing. Most of them the blonde didn’t even know what they were, and he was pretty sure Sephiroth knew he didn’t know, and it seemed to amuse his mate the few times he had bluffed when he was collected enough in his thoughts to try. But it would be a lie to say that he didn’t wonder what it would be like to have a weekend of experimentation, so long as it wasn’t dangerous. The last day of Sephiroth’s paid Bonded Leave Cloud was relatively normal, though he refused to admit that his dick felt a bit sensitive, but the General told him they could not venture out simply because the blonde was still emitting a heat scent, even if very weak, and the silverette wasn’t in the mood to beat back any alphas that would, as he put it, inevitably sniff around. 

“Do you see it?” Cloud asked into the phone from where he sat at the small dining table dressed in his dark gray skinny jeans and studded sleeveless top. A soft sigh was heard across the line. 

“The set with the silver and gold strip?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde gave an affirmative hum. “I see it. The sixteen-piece set?” the General asked to confirm.

“Yeah. That was the one,” Cloud answered and then the sound of a cart rattled over the phone. 

“All right. What else was there?” Sephiroth asked. “I’ve got the silverware set, a cookware set, and a kitchen utensils set,” the General listed off.

“M-hm, the spice rack, a microwave, and the radio,” Cloud said, a smile curving his lips again. He felt a little bad having fun ordering Sephiroth around, further strengthened by the silverette’s lack of enthusiasm. The only drawback was that he couldn’t see the great and mighty General pushing a shopping cart around buying kitchen supplies. But, if he couldn’t go out, then Sephiroth would just have to do it all by himself.

“That woman has returned,” Sephiroth noted, sounding even less enthused and Cloud had to work to suppress a laugh. It shouldn’t be something to be laughed at. The silverette had been bothered a handful of times already by fans, and one woman, in particular, seemed to keep popping up around him. Though Cloud hadn’t quite the heart to tell him that when people shopped they tended to move around the store. The very notion that he was wary of a single shopper was adorable though. However, it did reveal just how socially inept Sephiroth truly was. There were actually more things Cloud wanted to get, but he didn’t want to put the silverette through more than he had to. 

“I’m at the microwaves,” Sephiroth stated. 

“Would it be possible to get a 1000 watt microwave?” Cloud asked and after a brief moment, he heard a soft sigh. 

“There are three varying sizes,” Sephiroth said. 

“Whichever you want. Bigger basically just means you can cook or heat up larger things in it. Since you have an oven, a really big microwave isn’t really necessary unless you want to cook a frozen pizza faster than the oven would,” Cloud explained. 

“Got it,” the General said and a moment later the cart rattled slightly again. “So, spice rack and radio. I didn’t see a spice wrack, I think I missed it,” Sephiroth said. 

“It’s possible that it’s sold out. We won’t die without it, but it can lead to a bit of a clutter mess if you don’t have one. All the cooking I learned and the food I grew up with utilized a lot of spices, so I like using them too,” Cloud explained. There was a sigh from the silverette. 

“I will look again. I hate messes,” the General said and the blonde’s lips quirked up again. Sephiroth certainly seemed to like an orderly, tidy apartment. 

“If not, we’ll get one next time, when I can come with you,” Cloud offered. 

“I do not want to do this on my own again. In fact, I think we should trade places,” Sephiroth said, and as Cloud parted his lips, the silverette added in, “with Zackary with you.” The blonde stopped what he was going to say. “In fact, I’m inclined to think I’m due to have my way the rest of the day,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud once again felt his smile grow. Perhaps it was a little mean, but it really was the cutest thing he could have ever imagined. 

When Sephiroth failed to find a spice rack, he chose what ended up turning into a stereo system, which was more than Cloud had dared to ask for, but felt his blood rush in excitement nonetheless. When the General was about to enter the check out line they said their good by’s and Cloud quietly waited for his mate to return.

The front door swung open, revealing Sephiroth with a rectangular vertical shopping basket on wheels that he must have bought to carry all that was bought. Sephiroth pulled the small kart in, stacked tall and heavy with boxes as its wheels dragged across the carpet before he closed and locked the door. 

“Unfortunately, I do not have the arms of an octopus, so I bought this. I think it might useful to you in the future,” Sephiroth stated and Cloud smiled as he walked over toward the silverette, and immediately was set upon by the strong, welcoming smell of his mate.

“Yeah. I can use it for groceries,” the blonde said, fighting a sudden surge in heart rate as all the skin on his body felt to become goose flesh. Sephiroth’s eyes locked on Cloud’s face as his cheeks pinked a little and the General strode over to him before stopping and staring down at the blonde. Cloud looked up and their eyes met while heat began to swell his cock. The blonde turned his face down and away, awkward. 

“I,” Cloud muttered, well aware that the General already knew what was going on. “Damn. I guess being away from you for a while made me sensitive again,” he muttered. 

“You are still in heat,” Sephiroth reminded as he used his fingers and gently urged the blonde to look at him, which Cloud obliged to. 

“Well, I did say I wanted to have things my way the rest of the day. And it seems your body already knows what I want,” Sephiroth said with a smile pulling his lips. Swallowing a mild access of saliva the blonde grabbed the silverette’s face and urged the man to bend down a little, and when the General did, their lips met. Immediately Sephiroth’s arms wrapped around the small of Cloud’s waist and hefted him up, which prompted Cloud to wrap his legs around the General’s waist before the two turned toward the bed. Cloud stared at Sephiroth and slid his right hand into his mate’s hair to cup the back of his skull before their lips sealed. Cloud angled his head and as soon as he opened his mouth the General’s tongue thrust inside, eager and hungry. The blonde grunted when his back hit the bed and the two broke lips, which set the silverette free to place kisses across his lover’s cheek to his jaw while his hands slid down Cloud’s body before his right hand palmed over the swollen bulge in the blonde’s skinny jeans, drawing a breathy hiss from his mate. A rumbling chuckle passed the General’s lips as his hands traced the shape of Cloud’s cock curving up from his groin, trapped tight to his body. 

“These jeans are ridiculous,” Sephiroth noted while Cloud’s hands, impatient, reached down, popped the button loose and unzipped them. Brushing his mate’s hands side, the silverette reached inside the tight pants and pulled the blonde’s flushed, swollen cock free. A groan of appreciation passed Cloud’s lips as his hands immediately went to the band of his pants, working them off his slim hips, but stopped when the silverette gave his cock a squeeze. 

“Wait,” Cloud panted as the groan of pleasure squeezed past his pink lips. “I need out of these,” he informed. A devilish smirk curved the General’s lips. 

“You’re the one who chose these pants, remember. Why must I endure however long it takes you to fight your way to freedom? I think I’ll just take this here while you battle yourself to victory,” Sephiroth said and a pout crossed the blonde’s face.

“I can’t concentrate if you’re doing that,” Cloud griped, which was ignored when Sephiroth’s head slid down and the long moonlit tendrils of hair splayed over the blonde’s lap before his leaking cock was pulled into the soft, warm, wet confines of a devious mouth. The silverette’s bold tongue rubbed affectionately over the exposed red head of the blonde’s prick, collecting the building fluid before sucking at the head and Cloud went slack on the bed as pleasure bloomed hot through his body while a low barely contained moan flitted from his lips as hisdick swelled larger in his mate’s mouth. Sephiroth’s hands slid to the protruding bone of Cloud’s hips and massaged them as he sucked down, tongue rubbing incessantly at the sensitive, pulsing vein that ran along the underside of his lover’s cock and a moan oozed from his blonde’s lips. Cloud’s right hand threaded through Sephiroth’s hair, enjoying the long, silky threads against his palm as his fingers dared to touch his scalp while the blonde fought to control the building twitch in his hips while his lover sucked back up to the tip and lapped at the leaking head which induced a strong shudder of pleasure in Cloud. The General’s fingers curled around the edge of the pants and boxers, and tugged, earning a gasped grunt from the blonde as the silverette started to roughly work the tight material down his hips and to his thighs. An appreciative moan vibrated from the back of Cloud’s throat when he was finally free and the jeans slid much more easily down his legs before being yanked off and thrown away. 

“S-Sephir-” the sound of Cloud’s low, moaning voice cut when he was sucked back down his mate’s throat, mouth stroking the length of his cock as one leg was pulled over the silverette’s shoulder before a horny finger found the blonde’s wet hole and easily slipped through the twitching puckered ring of muscles. Sephiroth set into motion, bobbing his head up and down, sliding his tight sucking lips and mouth down the saliva slick cock in his possession as his finger rubbed in deep against that sensitive bundle of nerves that made the muscles of Cloud’s lower back and belly tremble as his back arched. Teeth grit, the blonde resisted thrusting down, that damned finger was so unfair, it felt so good to be rubbed in there, but it was nothing but a cruel tease. To think, that three months ago the thought of aching for cock to rub inside of him had never even crossed his mind. Ah, but he never knew how good it felt. 

Due to the rubbing of his prostate and Sephiroth’s sucking mouth, the hot pulsing of pleasure grew louder and more violent as breath rasped from Cloud’s lungs, he was getting close, he could feel it from the twitching of his cock in Sephiroth’s mouth as pleasure reached deep into his body. As if all-knowing, the General sucked his way back to up to the tip and rubbed at the leaking slit while giving one strong suck and rubbing particularly hard against that sweet spot, forcing the damn that had been holding the blonde together to break apart as orgasm broke free, signaled by the tensing of Cloud’s body as a loud, guttural moan passed his open lips while a heavy, excited burst of cum shot into his lover’s expectant mouth. As the rush of orgasm drained from the blonde he sagged onto the mattress, sweaty and hot in his shirt as the silverette worked his own pants open before pulling free his large, straining cock and gave himself an appreciative stroke.

“How do you want me, Cloud?” Sephiroth asked, his voice a low, throaty purr as his pupil blown eyes locked with hazed blue. Cloud swallowed a sudden bout of saliva before he twisted around, moved across the bed to rest on his stomach where he grabbed a condom from what remained of the box that had sat in open access on the nightstand for the last week. The bed shook and Cloud felt the bed dent in around him as the silverette crawled up over him. A long hand reached forward, snatched the condom from him before the sound of plastic ripping met the blonde’s ears. Cloud relaxed on his stomach for a moment, still somewhat spent, but also somehow, still wound so tight deep inside himself and at the base of his cock, like it was waiting, just waiting to strike him again. 

Long hands slid down the back of his shirt and Cloud felt his skin shiver in pleasure as long fingers slid down to the globes of his ass before each muscle was taken into a palm and pulled open. Air caught in the blonde’s throat and he twisted his head to look over his shoulder. Sephiroth was on his knees on either side of Cloud’s ankles, his cock stood proud and heavy, beautiful even if obscured in the translucent white of the rubber. The General had relieved himself of all his clothes apparently, revealing the impressive definition of his arms and abdominals even though he was leaned forward. Cloud couldn’t see Sephiroth’s face due to the large wall of hair that had fallen forward, hiding most of his expression as his hands still held the blonde spread and Cloud felt his cheeks flush as his heart rate accelerated. Did he have to stare down there? Sephiroth was looking at him there, and he knew it, and it made the blonde’s heart thump harder in his chest as he looked away and leaned up on his forearms.

“You’re a beautiful young soldier, did you know that? I would have liked, to have seen you in a SOLDIER uniform. I think you’d wear it well,” Sephiroth said with a purr before the mattress moved and Cloud found his knees being urged apart by what he suspected were the General’s knees. Spreading his legs wide Cloud’s breath stuttered as arousal began to slowly swell his dick against from where it pressed to the bedspread. Fingers left his ass and the feel of a single digit stroking his balls induced a shudder up the blonde’s spine as his cock twitched, growing hot and long against his thigh. 

“I see someone is excited again,” Sephiroth said in a sultry rumble and Cloud lowered his head, unable to stand that he was being teased again. The General was so cat-like in so many ways, though cats didn’t fuck their toyed prey. The mattress sank around Cloud as long streams of silky threads draped over and slid across Cloud’s shirt and exposed shoulders before breath ghosted over the shell of his ear, inducing a wonderful chill down his back and hard, needy throb in his hard prick. 

“Sephiroth,” Cloud said as he turned to look and froze when he found the silverette’s face right against his, pupil blown green eyes rapt in their attention as a sensual smile curved the General’s lips. 

“My beautiful Cloud, my mate, my bond, mine,” Sephiroth’s voice fell forward in a low, heady rumble heavy in lust, and Cloud’s world grew dizzy before he realized he had held his breath. Sephiroth smelled so good, and so close it was drowning him as it invaded every pore, and that voice, so low and sensual was almost too much, especially while in heat even if it was ebbing away. The General’s body moved then and hands grabbed Cloud’s hips before he was urged him to lift, and the blonde felt his face burn more as he hiked his hindquarters up, prepared for a familiar position until he stopped. 

“You can relax, I just want access to you here,” Sephiroth declared as his hands slid around to the front of the blonde’s hips and strong fingers encircled the base of his cock. A thrum of pleasure filled Cloud as he nodded and rest his head down on his arms, allowing himself to relax while deft fingers massaged his dick in delicious circular motions through the thick foreskin that had never been cut away unlike his mate. The feel of a warm, wet cock pressed against his hole, and Cloud took in a deep breath, relaxing even as his hole wet more when a bolt of excitement shot up his spine at such a feeling. He was going to be filled soon. The pressure increased and a warm shudder of pleasure worked through Cloud’s ass and pelvic area as he muscles stretched open, flowering around the thick cock that pushed forward smooth and easy, sliding in deep. Soft, breathy groans of pleasure passed from the blonde’s lips, mirrored by the silverette above him as his insides felt the familiar stroke and stretch of his mate’s dick spreading him open wide, sliding further until that demanding, throbbing spot was pushed against. A jerk hit Cloud’s hips as a groan passed his lips before he pushed his sweaty forehead into the bedspread. 

“So beautiful,” Sephiroth panted as his hips drew up against the round of Cloud’s ass, buried up to his balls inside the most delicious thing he had ever experienced. The blonde’s hole drooled in appreciation of being rubbed so well and made so full, which his cock mimicked in the grip of his lover’s hand. The General adjusted his balance as he came to rest over Cloud’s back as his hand left the blonde’s needy prick and leaned onto the palms of his hands, upper back arching up as his hair fell back and pooled around them like a waterfall at night reflecting the moon. 

“Gaia, I love this feeling, this smell, you are intoxicating,” Sephiroth said, and Cloud bit on the inside of his lips. To say anything at that moment would only embarrass himself since absolutely nothing in the blonde’s mind could mirror the wonderful, sensual rumble of his mate’s words and voice. Pleasure burned hotter through Cloud’s body, cock throbbing and wanting as sweat once again started to soak into his shirt and mist his skin. He wanted Sephiroth to move his hips, to fuck him, to rub away the teasing, throbbing ache deep inside and make him cum. Absolutely crude and without tact in comparison to the wonderful things he was so blessed to hear. Even if being called beautiful was embarrassing and a point of disagreement, in particular with contrast to the General himself.

“Cloud?” Sephiroth moved, the movement inducing the barest of a nudge of his cock and the blonde bit back the embarrassing sound he wanted to make before the silverette’s breath stroked his ear again. 

“You’re unusually quiet right now,” the General said and Cloud nodded. The blonde took a steadying breath and attempted to collect his thoughts and control his vocal cords properly. 

“Just… maybe because my heat isn’t so strong. I’m more… I don’t know, you just keep saying embarrassing things,” the blonde muttered, and a soft chuckle filled his ear. 

“I see, then, shall I stop lavishing those abused ears of yours with affection and start?” Sephiroth asked and heat flourished through Cloud before he gave a nod, his cock wetting even more at the thought of finally feeling his mate stroke his sweet spot. The General left Cloud’s ear and after a moment the feeling of something wet sliding back, stroking through the tender flesh of his insides and across his prostate birthed hot pleasure through his body. For a split second, Cloud was left empty only for Sephiroth’s cock to slide back in hard, hips slapping into Cloud’s ass and jerking him against the bed, which sent a surprising spark of pleasure through his cock when it pressed against the bedspread. Slowly the silverette pumped his cock into the tight, wet muscles of his mate’s hole, loving the way it gripped and stroked him while Cloud’s body grew hotter with every slid against his sweet spot, sparking pleasure deep into his very bones. Gaining what little balance on his knees he could from his position, Cloud used his forearms to brace himself and thrust back to meet Sephiroth’s hips, and both groaned pleasure as Sephiroth leaned down and placed a kiss to the blonde’s shoulder as his hips moved faster, rubbing inside Cloud harder. Mouths broke open with breathy groans and moans as Sephiroth took full advantage of his weight on the blonde and utilized gravity to move faster still, drawing loud, desperate moans from their mouths. 

“Sephiroth!” Cloud's gasp was guttural as the blonde dug his knees into the bed and raised up on his toes while grappling with not being knocked flat on the mattress. The blonde twisted his head and eager lips slipped against his, fumbling and rasping with breath as the boiling heat of pleasure seared through every nerve. Cloud groaned, head swimming as pleasure pulsed rapidly through his blood and his twitching, leaking cock. Suddenly, Sephiroth came to a pause and a sound of confusion and intense displeasure flooded the blonde before hands grabbed his hips and with a gasp, Cloud found his hips hike dup before his mate resumed slamming his cock deep inside him, rubbing hard against his inner walls and that spot that made every muscle suddenly wind tight. 

Held in place while Sephiroth pistoned his hips with increasing fervor Cloud grabbed the bedspread, his leaking cock dribbling on the fabric as it bounced below him, throbbing hotter as the heat wound tighter, about to break. Vision lost of focus, Cloud’s lips flew open as a loud moan broke from the back of his throat when every muscle froze and trembled in tension as orgasm bowled over him, overriding his nervous system for an intense, turbulent moment as cum shot from this swollen cock onto the mattress as Sephiroth smashed his hips against the blonde’s ass, burying his twitching dick deep inside his mate. The silverette released a breathy groan of pleasure as his pulsing cock gushed into the condom. It only lasted perhaps a few seconds before both men’s bodies were able to relax and Cloud was freed from his lover’s iron grip, to which he immediately let himself sink onto the bed, boneless. The General remained on his knees, his powerful chest rising and falling with his deep, panting breaths. Cloud looked up and their gazes met, the look in Sephiroth’s eyes no doubt mirror his own-sated. After the brief meeting of eyes, the silverette disposed of his condom and laid himself down by his mate. Cloud smiled as his breath recovered, which Sephiroth mirrored. 

“So, was that all you wanted?” Cloud asked, his voice slightly rough.

“Depends on you,” Sephiroth said as he let himself roll onto his back as what seemed to be typical behavior for him. Cloud sat up on his hip and let himself drape partly over his mate’s chest and the silverette released a pleased hum as a hand came to settle on the blonde’s back. 

“If we’re not careful, even with a condom I could get pregnant,” Cloud muttered and a soft chuckle passed from the General’s closed lips, vibrating in his chest. 

“You did want children, didn’t you?” Sephiroth said and the blonde looked up toward the silverette’s face and frowned at him. 

“Not yet. I’m not ready, yet,” Cloud informed before the silverette’s hand began to rub his back and after a beat the blonde allowed himself to relax again.

“The only way to avoid that potential would be to not have sex at all. Which would make both of us rather miserable, especially during your next heat,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud frowned. He had a point. 

“Starting tomorrow I assume you will resume working with Zackary?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde gave a lazy nod against the General’s chest. 

“I’m going to learn how to perform a proper dodge with a sword,” Cloud mumbled, suddenly tired. 

“He should be teaching you how to do that when escaping a sword lock,” Sephiroth muttered, and Cloud gave a barely perceivable nod. 

“Yeah, he said it would add to… that,” Cloud slurred.

“But always practice the basics,” Sephiroth whispered. “Basics are everything,” he added with a soft sigh. Within a few moment, deep, even breathing filled the room.


	20. Dangerous Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaos and violence erupt into Cloud's quiet life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm so excited to share this chapter! And I got the next two already done~ Just in need of a re-read where I am sure I will miss things. DX Sadly. But, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and the sequencing ones! 
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has shown support so the story so far! It's moving at breakneck speed now!
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.---Can I just say this applies to the story itself? lol

Cloud resumed his training with Zack in exuberance. After warming up in the First’s apartment the blonde realized just how good it felt to be able to get around and exercise his muscles in different ways that rutting on a bed. He followed the Zack out of the apartment, and the fresh air and warm sun falling over him was a welcome sensation, even if everything was obscured by mako smog. Cloud slowed his pace, falling behind Zack a little and the First stopped and looked at the blonde when he came to a stop after crossing the street and looked up and down the road. There was a significant lack of people. The usually loud, packed streets were a soft murmur with small collections of bodies. It looked like over half of the population was missing. 

“There’s been some low-level monster sightings in the area. Two since your heat started. They were taken out quickly, but people are scared. We’re investigating where they came from, but don’t have any answers yet,” Zack explained as he walked up to Cloud, leveled his face next to the blonde’s, and pointed his finger out. Following the First’s finger point, Cloud spotted a SOLDIER 3rd down the road on guard. 

“We’ve got’em posted all throughout sector 8 and some adjoining sectors, to be safe,” Zack explained and the blonde gave a nod. Zack stood up and grinned then at Cloud. 

“What better time to improve your swordsmanship! Come on, let’s go!”

~~~

Over a week and a half, Zack and Cloud had started having semi-sparring matches, where the First basically stood in place and let the blonde attack him with occasional correction, but every now and again Zack made a move to force Cloud to think on his feet. The blonde also took up practicing basic techniques every day with a wooden sword Zack had left behind in his apartment. It wasn’t much better than a stick, but still, he could go through all the motions and steps every day after tidying up the apartment, adding it to the weight workouts on the days he and Zack did not visit the Rent A Space building. Sephiroth in that time busied himself in work. Since the monster sightings had involved SOLDIER the General was involved in keeping track and organizing how the THIRDs were being utilized. But the silverette seemed irritated over the monster sightings in general, and due to the classification of information, and Cloud not being the subject, the General would not say anything more than: it did not make sense. SOLDIER had been given permission to carry their weapons into all areas now, and so Sephiroth carried his sword into the apartment. As a result Cloud got see Masamune in all its terrifying glory. Even sheathed the blade was imposing where it rest against the wall by the door.

On the bright side, Cloud was happy to stretch his cooking muscles again. He started simple, cooking the familiar dishes of home to have ready when the General came home after work. It was different without the use of Nibel Wolf, but the smells of the spices really birthed a very strong feeling of homesickness. He missed his home, eating of all things, that same damned meat every day. He missed the smell of the mountain air, clean in comparison to Midgar, and he missed the sounds and feelings his quaint, small town evoked. He missed his mom. Cloud debated calling her once but chickened out with the excuse of waiting until he could see her in person. Hopefully, she was unaware of everything that had happened and had no idea that her son wasn’t dutifully serving. Cloud couldn’t imagine ShinRa telling her he was coming home, not when they wanted him and didn’t want a mother snooping around and making noise. So he used that to comfort himself as he ignored the impulse to type in his phone number and give it a ring. Though a few of the dinners turned out a little botched, Sephiroth not once complained, and in fact seemed to really like having a home-cooked meal, which made the effort all the more rewarding. And to the blonde’s surprise, he started waking up the last half of the week to the General making pancakes, and even getting to watch the man burn his finger on the skillet. Considering the silverette had never cooked a day in his life, the pancakes came out damned good, coming from a mix helped, and he only burned them once. Cooking also gave Cloud something to do when he was done with everything else in his day. It was night and day, how different his days were from when he had first bonded with the General, he actually felt alive and a part of the world again. It was a truly, good feeling. 

~~~

Cloud walked with Zack. It was still a rather empty street that he couldn’t help finding unnerving. There had been another monster a few blocks down, though Cloud had heard and seen none of it, naturally. But his friend was more on guard, and even seemed to hesitate today when it came to leaving the building. Things had changed rapidly, and it made the blonde a little nervous. 

A wild, monstrous roar pierced the air and vibrated all through Cloud’s head and into his heart, which prompted his hands to clap down over his ears. People immediately broke into screams of terror and bolted in the direction away from the horrific roar. Zack shouted something amidst all the noise and grabbed the blonde’s shoulder. Cloud barely had time to think when he was pushed forward and urged down against the side of a parked car against the sidewalk. His heart thundered in his ears as Zack crouched down next to him and both peeked up over the doors of the car and through the windows. The ground started shaking.

_Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump._

Whatever it was, it was running and it was heavy. All it took was a blink and a brief moment of still silence before a massive four-legged creature at least ten feet tall hit the ground so hard it felt like they were on water. And to the blonde’s shock, two smaller creatures skittered across the asphalt and crowded around the feet of the large monster. They had the look of some sort of chimera, like a feline monster fused almost with walrus features, and a long, whipping tale that had a talon on the end of it. Zack removed the practice weapons from his back and withdrew his buster sword. He dropped from out sight below the window and Cloud did the same. The First’s hand grabbed the blonde’s shoulder and his glowing mako eyes bore into his own, grave. Zacks’s index finger pressed to his lips as he pulled on the blonde to move closer until their foreheads lightly touched. 

“Okay, that thing is high level. Which means having you here is a bad idea. I can’t guarantee your safety, and I know Seph will kill me if you get even a bruise. So,” Zack whispered before taking a deep breath and heaving a sigh, “...you’re going to run for it. Take this,” Zack proffered the pummel of one of the iron practice swords. Cloud’s heart jumped into his throat as his hand took the hilt into a shaky palm. “I know you’re not ready for this at all. And I don’t recommend you using it. It’s not even sharp. But should a monster appear before you, you can at least hit. What I really recommend is running and hiding. If you hide, find a place up high and difficult to reach, unless it’s a flying enemy. Then you find a small place down low. Got it?” Zack asked and Cloud tightened his grip on the sword’s hilt, steadying his hand as he did so. His brows set firm and eyes hard before he gave a nod. Zack nodded in return. 

“Good. I want you to head back to the apartment building,” the First said as he chanced a glance, flinching when a Third challenged the monster and was smacked away with a massive paw. 

“Got it. What if I can’t get in?” Cloud asked and the Zack’s face pinched in discomfort. 

“Then,” Zack paused, “Go to Sephiroth. He should already know what’s going on, but I’ll give him a call when I can and tell him that you may be heading his way. I’m sure he’ll be out here in minutes,” the First said and Cloud gave a nod. Both straightened their backs and glanced through the car windows again when the creature began to shake the ground with its heavy footfalls. 

“Okay, I’ll distract it, you run,” Zack said, Cloud took a deep breath and slowly released it. The First gave a reassuring smile and quickly moved around to the front of the car in a crouch before standing and running after the monster as it passed them. Zack gave a holler and the fire materia in the slot of his buster sword swirled and flashed bright as he cast firaga at the creature, which let out a pained howl when its side was burned. The creature focused its enraged gaze upon the SOLDIER, and Cloud took the chance to go around the back of the car before breaking into a bolt across the street. He was only two blocks from home, he just had to avoid any dangers along the way. 

Cloud almost tripped when out the corner of his eye he spied a young girl curled into a ball crying against a postal box. He glanced down the road to where the creature swiped, presumably at Zack, but the blonde couldn’t see him. Cloud walked over the girl and knelt down.

“Hey,” he greeted softly and large brown, wet eyes looked up at him. He gave a reassuring smile and offered out his hand. 

“It’s dangerous here, we need to get you home,” he said and though the girl hesitated, she took his hand Cloud helped her to stand up. But as soon as they took a step the girl collapsed and started wailing in distress. 

“I can’t walk!” the girl bawled and the blonde jerked his gaze back down the road. The smaller creatures were at the moment distracted with also, presumably Zack, but the girl could attract them. Not knowing what to do, Cloud dropped back onto his haunches, wrapped his arms around the girl and hugged her to his chest while giving as soothing as hush as he could. Within seconds the girl started to quiet. 

“I’ll give you piggyback, that okay?” Cloud asked and after a second of the child rubbing her eyes, she nodded. The blonde turned around and pulled his arms back in offering to carry. A second later the girl climbed up his back and after he grabbed the hilt of his dull sword, Cloud secured the girl in place, pausing when he realized… she was wet. After a beat, he shook off the negative impulse of wanting to react and moved forward. 

With the child secure on his back and sword in his hand, Cloud moved forward and into a small street between blocks. He walked quickly while making sure to keep his ears open and eyes focused on all of the environment. 

“Where do you live?” Cloud asked. 

“I don’t know,” the girl said and the blonde paused in disappointment. She was too young to remember her address. That made things more difficult. 

“Do you know any big or special places you live by?” Cloud asked. It was silent a moment before the girl answered, sounding a little recovered from her fear. 

“Ice Cream. Pink everywhere!” the girl said and the blonde searched his memory, but unfortunately, he knew too little of sector 8. 

“Any statues or pictures you remember?” Cloud asked, hoping for something more. Perhaps the idea of taking the girl home was too much. But then, a thought occurred to Cloud. “You’re awful young, where are your parents?” he asked. 

“Mommy’s at work. I went to pre-school today. We were on a field trip,” the girl said and the blonde nodded even as some anger smoked in his chest. So the teacher lost her or abandoned her. He hoped it was more of a loss rather than a ditching. 

“Where’s your school?” Cloud asked. 

“By the park!” the girl cried. Hopeful, he twisted his head to see the girl what he could. 

“Where?” he asked. 

“Down that way!” the girl said as she pointed in the direction down the road where the monster had originally come from. Concern twisted his brow, but it was his best bet. Hopefully, the school and everyone within was safe. At the very least, if the adults were around they could get a hold of the girl’s mother. Cloud turned and hurried back the way he’d come and down the road. The monster was still roaring and growling behind him, but also still distracted. After roughly fifteen minutes the girl cried out in excitement. 

“There!” the girl cried and the blonde gasped in joy. Various public safety division members stood around various buildings, and two stood at attention, guns ready and pointed down in front of ShinRa Kids Club. Cloud picked up his pace a bit and stopped when one of the men lifted his hand in a stop gesture and approached him. 

“What are you doing with that girl?” the man asked, his voice stiff and harsh. 

“She goes here. She said she was on a field trip when the monster appeared. I brought her here to keep her safe,” Cloud informed and the man stared at him a moment before giving a nod. 

“Release the girl and we’ll see to it she is safe,” the guard informed and Cloud knelt down, allowing the girl to take to her feet, which seemed to work now before he stood straight. 

“You should head into the grocery store behind you until the threat is over,” the man said as the other guard walked up and engaged the girl before guiding her away. Cloud looked over his shoulder to the guarded shop before he looked back to the man in front of him. 

“Thanks. But I’m just going to head back to my apartment. I don’t think there are any monsters around there,” he said and though he could not see the man’s face through his helmet, the blonde got the distinct feeling that he did not approve. 

“You realize a dull sword like that will not save you. How even did you get that?” the man asked and Cloud stepped back. 

“I’ll be fine. This is just to whack something if I have to. I plan on running all the way and locking myself inside,” the blonde assured before he turned and quickly ran away before the guard could ask anything more, or become even more suspicious of him. 

“Hey!” the guard shouted and Cloud ran faster, hurrying back down the street toward the monster as the anxiety building in his heart increased. It was funny in a way, to be so uncomfortable around ShinRa guards when he could easily have been one. Cloud turned down the road between blocks he had taken when he had originally picked up the girl. The sound of boots chasing after him en mass made the blonde’s heart jump hard in his chest before it burst into a frantic speed as he turned and looked behind him. Shit! The guards! Due to their uniformity he had no idea it if was the same ones he had spoken to, though he reasoned probably not. What the hell were they doing following him?!

Cloud’s feet pounded across the asphalt as he turned a corner to go down another road. The men chased after him, their armor and weapons clanking and thudding against their armored bodies as they chased him. The blonde’s jaw tensed as adrenaline surged through his veins and he pushed to run faster, pants scraping hard from his lungs as he forced himself to move faster and faster. They wouldn’t stop. They were only a small distance behind him, but they weren’t gaining. Cloud turned, and they did too. Panic and questions swirled around the blonde’s mind. What were they doing? Why were they chasing him?! What did they want? They had absolutely no reason to be doing so, not unless they thought he was a criminal somehow. But if so, how come they weren’t telling him to stop and surrender himself for questions? He was getting irritated, tired of running, and in fact, his legs were getting tired of running. With a hissed curse, Cloud came to a stop in the empty street a block from home and turned toward the guards, sword held down to the side and ready. It was dull, but he’d hit them as hard as he could.

“What do you want?” Cloud called when the unit stopped. 

“Cadet Cloud Strife?” one man in the lead called and the blonde glared even as fear ripped through his heart. He didn’t answer. 

“We have orders to remove you!” the man called and Cloud felt every muscle fiber stiffen even as a new wave of adrenaline shot through his system. He’d rather fucking die. He wasn’t going back. There was no way he was going back. They were betraying Sephiroth! He was supposed to be safe, dammit! Clearly, legal paperwork was not something ShinRa cared to abide by.

“Fuck off!” Cloud shouted. The men shifted around, almost as if uncomfortable with the blonde’s language before the leader lifted a gauntlet that showed off two materia. One green, one red. Cloud’s teeth creaked in his mouth as he took a careful step back. He had to get out of range. Even though his training with materia was limited, he still got it. Shit. Shit. Shit. Cloud turned and ran, but he didn’t make it far.


	21. Unravel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zack can't do anything, and it hurts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! Hopefully, I wrote it decently. A lot happens here and I kept doing last-minute adjustments to the writing. DX
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has been showing support by reading every chapter or leaving kudos, or commenting! ^_^ I hope this chapter is liked. 
> 
> If I wrote it well enough, there should be lots of feels in this chapter.

“Where is Cloud?” Was the immediate response Zack heard on the other line and the First panted as he dodged around a flipped car. The creature was badly burned and angry, but it was slowing down, and alone now. It was amazing how strong it was, which in some ways made its appearance on the plate even more bizarre.

“I gave him a practice sword and sent him back to your place. But, if for some reason he couldn’t get in there, I told him to head your way. I’m calling to tell you to watch out for him,” Zack panted into the phone and a curse came over the line. 

“I’m at the apartment, Cloud is not here,” Sephiroth informed with a sharp edge to his voice. Zack’s heart skipped a beat. 

“Shit, maybe he got detoured, either to your place or ShinRa,” Zack muttered, already feeling a tight grip of regret knot his chest. 

“I’m going to look for him, you kill that thing,” Sephiroth ordered and the fellow First nodded as he ended the call, cast haste on himself for the extra energy, and jumped to his feet. 

“I ain’t got all day for you!” 

~~~

Sephiroth stormed out of the apartment with Masamune, not even bothering to lock the door as he walked down the hall and stepped into the elevator. The General briefly wondered if it would be better to jump the balcony, but as the doors slid closed it was already too late. His mind raced, recalling the layout of Sector 8 and all the routes his mate could have taken. But, even that was no guarantee, Cloud didn’t know his way around, he could easily be anywhere. Anxiety gripped the silverette’s heart in a tight, painful grip. He hated this feeling, he hated it more than anything. He couldn’t lose someone else, and not, of all people, Cloud. 

Once he reached the ground floor Sephiroth was nearly running out of the building. He could hear the chaos a few blocks away thanks to the arrived infantry. He had to make a choice, find a path to take. Perhaps the best choice would be to search the immediate area, perhaps Cloud had taken to hiding or been injured. There had been no sightings of fiends reported anywhere else in the sector, but that didn’t mean anything. Sephiroth jogged, there was something digging into the base of his spine, biting at his ankles and urging him to run. His eyes darted everywhere looking for his mate’s familiar spiked hair and he took deep sniffs, searching for his scent. 

A loud roar pierced the air, a declaration of a death throw. The shooting stopped and suddenly all was quiet. It made the anxiety filling Sephiroth’s heart even worse, stealing his breath and almost dizzying his vision. It was not time to panic, it was time to move. 

“Seph!” Sephiroth turned at the sound of Zack’s voice and watched the fellow First sprint toward him back the way he’d come. His blue uniform was slightly burned and torn in a few places, and there were holes in the knees of his pants. Zack came to a stop on his knees to catch his breath before straightening up. 

“I’ll help you look,” the fellow First said and a sharp, nasty glare sharpened Sephiroth’s eyes and Zack flinched a little. 

“This is your fault,” Sephiroth spat with a venomous hiss before turning on his heel and storming away, resuming his search while a suddenly timid Zack hesitantly followed behind him. 

“I’m sure he’s okay,” Zack murmured, though concern twisted his brow. After a few moments of walking, the young First cupped his hands around his mouth and called.

“Cloud!” Zack called and Sephiroth’s bit his bottom lip before opening his mouth and allowing his deep voice to call out for the name of the one he most desperately wanted to see. The longer it took, the more agitated the General became. After roughly 20 minutes Sephiroth took out his frustration on trash cans and anything else that was kick-able, which stunned his Lieutenant. A faint smell caught the silverette’s nose and twisted Sephiroth’s stomach. He broke into a run, a confused Zack chasing him from where he had been down an alleyway nearby. It grew stronger, the smell, the stench of burn, and the familiar body odor of his mate. It smelled wrong, twisted. Cutting between two blocks Sephiroth turned to the left, but barely covered more than a foot before he came to a sudden stop. Zack caught up, nose wrinkling at the smell that filled the air. 

“What’s that,” Zack made a face of disgust, “...smell?” he asked.

The General’s breath caught and his fellow First walked to the man’s side before he too, froze. Intense nausea punched Zack in the stomach and his heart felt to explode in his chest as he stared down at what was in the road. How come nobody had reported it? Sephiroth staggered, his heart thrumming so fast he could barely breathe, and for a moment, he, in fact, stopped breathing. Eyes wide in horror he stumbled forward. Sprawled out on the ground was a definite human shape, charcoal black, and smoking with cracks of vermilion. A dull, chipped sword was in the body’s outstretched hand. Zack slapped his hand over his mouth as horror sunk deep into his stomach and his vision suddenly blurred. Sephiroth reached the remains and sank to his knees, a look of pure disbelief on his face. Zack gasped, he didn’t think he could talk, but he had to ask, even if everything that the General clearly exposed told him the answer. But just like the silverette, he didn’t want to believe it. 

“D-does it smell,” Zack wretched. Mako enhancements only made the smell worse. “like him,” he gagged. Even though he wasn’t Cloud’s mate, he could smell him, though burned to a crisp, it was definitely Cloud’s smell. But, somewhere in the back of his mind he hoped that maybe Sephiroth would say it wasn’t, even if it didn’t make sense. Zack collapsed, his knees unable to hold him up anymore, and it only then did the First realize they had been shaking uncontrollably, no, not just his legs, his entire body. It was his fault. It was all his fault. Sephiroth leaned down, his hair touching the burned remains, but he did not flinch as he leaned so close he must have been able to feel the heat coming from the charcoal flesh. And then the General shot upright. Zack watched, fighting with not tossing his stomach onto the road. 

“Sephiroth-”

“It’s not him,” the General declared. The silverette stood up then, hands gripped so tight Masamune shook in his grip. 

“What?” Zack groaned. 

“I don’t know who that is, but that is not Cloud,” Sephiroth reiterated. Zack stared, wide-eyed at the General as he then walked away, passing the body and continuing on. Confusion and genuine horror gripped Zack in an entirely new way as he watched the First walk away. It could be true, maybe this wasn’t Cloud, but then, the logical part of his brain wondered how it could smell like him to such a strong degree. Even if it were a different body in the blonde’s clothes, it wouldn’t smell so intimately of him. And the sword, it was the exact sword he had given Cloud. There as no hair left to see if it matched Cloud’s unique natural style, but everything else pointed to the ugly answer that he wanted to reject. Zack wasn’t sure which was worse, the idea that Cloud was burned to a crisp, and his mate was in total denial, or that Sephiroth was right and ShinRa went that far. 

“So, you smell someone else?” Zack forced himself to call, wanting to hear a confirmation of the General’s declaration. If he heard it then he’d believe it, if anything, because he wanted to; even if it was wrong. But he got no answer. Sephiroth just kept walking.

~~~

It was Cloud. The DNA and dental records proved it. It took only one day for the results to come back, matching one Cloud Strife. It was probably the hardest day Zack had experienced aside from what he had been made to do in regards to his dear friend and mentor. But, in some ways, it was worse. It was his fault. He had left Cloud unattended. 

Sephiroth was MIA for roughly two days, though there had been reported sightings of the General stalking the slums by the night of the first day. Some reports were that he was unresponsive, not really present. While there was one claim that he was talking to himself. The Turks were sent out to follow the clues to try and find the General, but they had been eluded; how, Zack couldn’t even fathom. But, after two days, Sephiroth turned up again at ShinRa. Absolutely filthy as if he’d dug through the garbage piles in the slums, and haggard to an astounding degree. He collapsed on the steps of the ShinRa building, which had made a scene for the ages. It was all over the news, which prompted a gaggle of reporters to swarm and try to force their way into the building afterword. Thanks to that barricades and fences had been erected with infantry troops to keep watch. All the while, Sephiroth was in the medical ward on intravenous fluids. He had been extremely dehydrated, showed signs of sleep deprivation, and as a result was not expected to wake up for a while. 

The days ticked by slow and painful; instead of sleep Zack spent his nights fighting off crying fits. What was he supposed to do? There was no going back and fixing it, there was no bringing Cloud back. No matter how much he wished it with all his heart, he had cost one life and ruined the other. In the space left by the General’s absence Zack had picked up Sephiroth’s duties, all the while wondering if the silverette would even be able to return to work. He didn’t complain or slack off, in fact, it was easier to just throw himself into the finer details of his job and ignore the deep-seated sadness his chest. In the afternoon of the third day, Zack got a call. It was Tsung, which was a surprise. 

“You need to get up here, you’ve been given clearance to get up to the 66th floor, just show your ID to the guards,” Tsung’s low, professional voice came over the line and Zack quirked a brow. 

“Huh? What’s going on?” he asked from his desk. 

“It’s Sephiroth. He’s awake and threatening staff into letting him into the 67th floor. He’s irrational and he’s getting violent,” Tsung explained and Zack sprung up from his chair and sprinted out the door. 

“I’m one my way!” he called and ended the call before racing to reach the mysterious labs. Since mako injections were given on the SOLDIER floor and no one other than select members of the science division staff could go on those floors it was a subject of intrigue for most people, especially due to Professor Hojo’s eccentricity. The First was pretty sure Sephiroth had used to go there a lot though in his teens, or at least that was what he had heard through the grapevine. Zack bounded up the stairs, only stopped when he had to show his ID to the guards that nodded him through the doors. When he reached the stairway between the 66th and 67th floor, he heard yelling. 

“I will end you!” It was Sephiroth’s voice, snarling, booming, a combination that made every hair on Zack’s body stand up. The General was not a loud man, never. “I know he’s in there!” Zack’s heart jumped into his chest and he ran up the stairs to find Sephiroth at the steps leading up to the 67th floor. Two SECONDs were blocking the stairway. Sephiroth stood there, still in a medical gown and not caring at all that he was running around naked with only a slip-on. The silverette’s left hand a strong grip on the front of one of the SOLDIER’s uniform. What Zack saw in the General’s right hand however shot alarms all through his brain and he hurried and grabbed the silverette’s right wrist. It could only be described as the eyes of a mad beast that turned on him, sharp and hot with pure rage. 

“Calm down, Sephiroth. You need to think about what you’re doing,” Zack said, doing his best to keep his voice as level as possible despite the prickling fear filling him to the core. Rage twisted the silverette’s brow and the fellow First gasped when the General twisted with such speed and unprecedented power that he not only wrenched his hand free, but Zack found a bruising grip on his throat with the sharp blade of a surgical knife pointed at his eye of all things. Zack gasped and sputtered, pure terror shooting up his spine as he stumbled back before grabbing the hand attempting to cut off his windpipe.

“You caused this! You are the reason he’s gone!” Sephiroth hissed, his hair falling forward over his face so that only one vicious green eye and curled back lips bore down on him. Zack felt his knees threaten to buckle. This was Sephiroth unraveled, this was what it was like to be hated more than anything else in the world. 

“Please, Seph. I-I’m sorry,” Zack said, eyes suddenly hot as water built up in them that he tried to blink away. His voice trembled, and he swallowed, which hurt thanks to the vice-like grip on his neck rendering him struggling to breathe comfortably. “I never, I never meant for anything bad to happen. I swear, if I knew, if I knew I never would have left him alone,” Zack said, his voice distorting with the pressure he felt building in his throat around the hand that clutched it. Water trickled from out the corner of his eyes and Zack accidentally sniffled as his face bloomed hot. He already felt like shit. It was all his fault. He had really fucked up. He got his friend killed. He loved Cloud, like a little brother. And he was gone. Sephiroth’s eyes widened a second before they relaxed and the silverette turned his face away. The General dropped the scalpel and stepped back, stumbling until his back hit the wall across from Zack and slid down to the floor, eyes still downcast. One of the door guards from the floor below ran up the few steps he had apparently ascended, probably when Zack had been attacked and grabbed the scalpel. Aside from Zack’s panting the room was silent and still. 

Sephiroth burst onto his feet and charged the two SECONDs. Zack cried out in shock and horror when the General grabbed one man and threw him to the side like he weighed nothing, knocking into the other with his entire body to throw him out of the way. Zack flew up the steps after the General and wrapped his left arm around the silverette’s neck. A snarl ripped from Sephiroth’s lips and he jerked in an attempt to throw his subordinate off before lifting Zack from off the ground and slamming him into the stairwell wall. A pained groan broke from the Lieutenant followed by another, and another, as Sephiroth repeatedly slammed him into the wall of the stairwell. 

In the end, Zack found himself holding onto Sephiroth more to protect himself from being tossed down the stairs rather than stopping him. Out of the corner of his eyes, amidst all the violent chaos, Zack caught sight of Tsung before his head hit the wall and his vision doubled for a moment. Tsung’s voice echoed into his ears, and after a few painful seconds, the beast he was trying to control suddenly started to slow. Zack’s mind snapped back into focus as his vision stabilized before looked to realize that Tsung held a spent needle held in his fingers. Sephiroth was huffing, sweating, but was sinking down on the stairs. Carefully, Zack allowed himself to release the silverette and sank onto the steps above the General who ended up laying down on the stairs, body limp. Leaning back on his elbows, Zack let his head fall back and gave a moan of distress. The bull, was finally down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> During this chapter and the next couple, I listened to "fickle Game" by Amber Run and it really hit the mood tonally.


	22. Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zack grapples with the loss of Cloud while Sephiroth retreats into himself. But as soon as everything settles into a stable Zack's lifeline is cut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Wow. The response to the last chapter was pretty big. Didn't expect that. lol I hope everyone enjoys the story as it progresses from this point on.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone whose read, left comments, and kudos!

It had taken Zack and a large SECOND to carry Sephiroth back down to his hospital bed. After that, the General was cuffed to it and left alone. After a couple days of silence, Zack heard word that the silverette had gone quiet. Worried, he now sat in a chair at the man’s bedside. Sephiroth sat up propped up against multiple large pillows, and still cuffed to the braces on the bed. Glancing down at the man’s wrists Zack spied the deep welts and bruises that colored his flesh and frowned. 

“So, how you feel today?” Zack asked. Sephiroth did not move. With his head cast lightly downward, all the First could see was silver hair and slumped powerful shoulders. He wasn’t eating much he had heard, and it was further evidenced by an untouched meal that sat on a table push away from the bed. Zack warred on whether to say anything, but he had been sitting on a big piece of information that he had yet to tell Sephiroth, and he knew the General had not been told simply out of fear for his reaction. It made him wonder if this was what it was like to lose a bond. Sephiroth was broken. Insane with rage, irrational with violence, and now he was no better than a comatose patient. Would telling him trigger a bad response? But, it would be unfair, wouldn’t it?

“Um, there’s a funeral on Thursday,” Zack informed. He got no response and his heart sank. All that determination, all that sureness that Cloud was still alive, help captive was just… gone. Sephiroth seemed empty. 

“For who?” Sephiroth’s deep voice drifted over the air so softly Zack had almost missed it. The First bit his bottom lip, brows twisting up in dismay. Did he have to say it?

“You know who,” Zack muttered barely above a whisper as his eyes fell to the floor. 

“It could be many people, who?” Sephiroth said, his voice carrying some tension. Zack almost whimpered. 

“Cloud’s,” he forced out from his lips. It went silent. 

“No, it’s not,” Sephiroth startd and Zack jerked his face up, his heart jumping up into his throat. 

“What?” he gasped softly. Was Sephiroth really still not believing it? How long was he going to cling to his denial?

“Cloud is alive,” Sephiroth insisted and Zack stared when that head finally lifted and turned toward him. The First’s heart stopped in his chest. The look on the General’s face. So stoic, so cold, yet there was sadness shining from somewhere in those eyes, but in that same moment, there was sturdiness in the planes of his face. A readiness to defend his belief to the bitter end.

“The body was confirmed through DNA and dental records,” Zack said. The silverette turned his face away and looked out the window. 

“No, those were fake,” Sephiroth stated plainly and pain twisted Zack’s heart deep in his chest, squeezing so hard he almost couldn’t breathe. 

“Sephiroth-”

“I know he is alive. That body was fake, it didn’t smell-”

“Yes, it did!” Zack gasped, hot pressure building up behind his eyes as he jumped to his feet. Sephiroth looked up at him, looking taken aback. 

“I get that it hurts! And for you, it’s got to be harder than anyone! He was your bond! And there was a moment when I really wanted to believe you. But he’s gone! The evidence proves it! And I know it’s my fault! I wish I could go back and do it different, but I can’t! So please, Seph, you’ve gotta pull outta this! This is how the stories always go! One half of a bond dies and the other is not far behind! Gaia! Sephiroth! Pull yourself together! If you refuse! If you refuse-” Zack lost his train of thought as his face twisted sharply in pain as he sank down onto his chair and put his face in his hands as he doubled over, a small sob shaking his back. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I can’t change anything. But please, I don’t want to see you waste away because of stupid me,” he begged. Nothing more was said even as Zack exposed himself and sobbed softly into his hands. He hadn’t felt so bad since Angeal died. And he hated himself for causing it all. After leaving the room Zack went back to his apartment, sat down at his table, and stopped fighting it. He had to let it out, or else it was going to eat him alive. The remorse, the pain that twisted up inside him, growing larger and more ferocious every second of every day tore its way free from his throat with a sob as he put his face down on the table and slammed his fists down onto the polished surface. He let it out, it had fed on him long enough, had grown big enough to finally tear him apart if he didn’t let it go. 

~~~

Sephiroth missed the funeral. In fact, almost no one was there. Apparently, Cloud’s mom had been notified and his body had been shipped out to Nibelheim for a proper funeral and burial. The funeral held in Midgar was mostly just for those that knew Cloud there, so of course, Zack wasn’t surprised to find very few people. No coffin, just an altar with a picture of Cloud’s cadet picture. He looked pretty nervous, the way his face was so tense in the photo, almost moody. There were a couple of infantry there, apparently, some guys that knew the blonde from basic training. After the service ended, Zack remained in the room for a long time by himself. He didn’t even get a church service, and the First wondered if perhaps his funeral back home would be all that he deserved. He was so heavy. Everything was heavy. It felt like he spent his days wading against a strong current. It was cold and lonely, and his apartment became unbearable, to the point Zack started staying in a hotel a few nights before. 

A week later while out on a mission, Zack got word that Sephiroth had been discharged. Apparently the General had been diagnosed with Bond Break, which caused him to have episodes of Psychosis revolving around a delusion that Cloud was alive; it also included a diagnosis of depression and anxiety. After being prescribed medication and deemed no longer a threat, Sephiroth had been allowed to return to active duty so long as he attended therapy. Zack couldn’t get back to Midgar fast enough, and when he did he ignored his debriefing, choosing to get the reprimand in exchange for seeing with his own eyes the state of the General. When Zack came to the silverette’s office door he could hear noise inside. Heart thumping hard in his chest, he opened the door and peered in. His heart stopped for a moment. Sephiroth was on his computer, dressed in his well familiar leather and fatigue. His fingers clicked away with incredible speed, confident in his typing skills as he worked away on something. Slowly green eyes slid to his face and Zack froze. The First wasn't sure what he was expecting to see, but despite how physically put together Sephiroth looked, his face, his eyes, in particular, looked tired, very tired.

“What are you here for, Fair? Shouldn’t you be in your debrief?” Sephiroth asked, voice curt and aloof. It was almost shell shock to see how exactly normal he was. Before Cloud, the General had always been to the point, curt, but polite. All business and no interest in socializing other than what was necessary. The silverette gave Zack a pointed stare. 

“If you ignored your debrief to run here and gawk, I will have to reprimand you,” Sephiroth informed and Zack shook himself. 

“Uh, no! Doin’ it now!” the First cried as he slammed the door and scurried back to where he was supposed to be. Biting back the lump in his throat, Zack walked fast to the briefing room. If that was how Sephiroth was going to handle it, then he would work with it. Anything was better than the raging beast or the lifeless husk he’d been before. 

Over the weeks Sephiroth resumed normal routine. He even took on missions and joined the battlefield once again, though he frequently hung back and let others take the lead. They even worked together on a few of them with Zack feeling odd as the man in charge when his outranking officer was right behind him. Sephiroth rarely spoke like he used to, and it made Zack realize just how much Cloud facilitated social interaction for the silverette. The weeks bled into months and everything seemed like they were falling into the same old, normal routine. That was, until Zack noticed that they actually weren’t. Sephiroth wasn’t going home. The First had no idea where his General was going, but it was not home. He caught him asleep in his office a few times. But other than that, the silverette left his office and did not come home. He would walk off ShinRa ground only to be found in his office the next morning like he’d never left. Zack once tried to follow him or catch him coming in, but somehow Sephiroth kept eluding him. It caused an itch to form in the back of Zack’s mind, worrying him.

~~~

“I don’t know what to do. He doesn’t believe it. Even after almost six months, I know he doesn’t. He thinks Cloud is alive, but, I mean, I saw the body, I saw the evidence,” Zack sighed, eyes tired. “I mean, did ShinRa really go through all the trouble to arrange a fake body, one that convincing, with fake evidence, all over one omega?” A slender hand of soft pink fingernails rest on his forearm from where the First sat, knees up and arms crossed over his knees while sitting atop the roof of an animal-shaped slide. The hand gently tugged and Zack looked over to his left where the face of a beautiful young woman with brown hair pulled back with a pink ribbon smiled at him, the bright green of her eyes clear and undaunted by his sad tale. A smile curved her soft lips. 

“Cloud is alive,” She said and Zack jerked slightly and gawked. 

“You can’t be serious?!” the First gasped. The young woman giggled. 

“Yes!” the young woman affirmed before she leaned back on her hands and looked up at the sky even though there was no such thing to be seen with an attentive look on her face. 

“He’s alive, and very far away,” she stated without any hesitation, and Zack couldn’t help but stare more. 

“Hey, it’s not funny, you shouldn’t say stuff like that. I’ve only just been able to go back into my apartment recently,” Zack said and the young woman simply smiled sweetly at him. 

“But, it’s good news! Your friend is right!” the young woman insisted and Zack couldn’t help the small, though hesitant smile that curved his lips. It was hard to be upset when he was under those pretty eyes. 

“So you say, you got proof?” Zack asked. The young woman gave a thoughtful look as she hummed. 

“I just know!” she declared and Zack gave an exasperated sigh. Aerith was an odd woman. But since meeting her, the First had been able to start finally letting the tragedy go. She was the chief reason he had been able to go back into his apartment at long last and clean out all the cobwebs and spiders, figuratively of course, since nothing really lived in Midgar except roaches and mice. 

Zack’s phone vibrated in his back pocket and the First picked it up, answering without even looking. But before he could give a greeting a deep voice came over the line. 

“Meet me at the edge of Midgar,” Zack froze, surprised to hear Sephiroth’s voice on the other line. The General had not called him once since the incident. There was only the occasional text message, and it was only when there was a mission involved. He figured Sephiroth still held Cloud’s death against him, which he didn’t blame him for. 

“What?” Zack gasped, but the line went dead. Slowly he looked to the woman at his side and she smiled at him.

“Sounds important. You should see him,” she encouraged and the First scratched the back of his head. 

“Yeah, I guess so. But, we were-” a finger pressed to his lips, silencing him. Their eyes met again and Aerith smiled. 

“I can wait. It sounds like he really needs you,” the brunette insisted and slowly Zack nodded. The woman then nodded herself. “So next time, you owe me a bigger, better date! Take me to a nice restaurant!” Aerith bargained and the First nodded as a small laugh passed his lips. 

“Okay, okay. Next time, an even better date,” Zack agreed. Before he could say or do anything more, lips pressed to his cheek and the First froze, feeling his heartbeat pick up the pace before the lips pulled away and Aerith got down on the slide and slid down to the playground floor. 

“See you then!” she called with a wave and walked away, leaving Zack stunned on top of the slide. After a moment a smile recovered his face and he too slid down to the ground. Taking in a deep breath and releasing it, Zack sheathed his buster sword back on his back and shoved his hands in his pockets before starting off. 

“Edge of Midgar? Uh? Isn’t all of Midgar an edge of some kind?” Zack muttered to himself, suddenly confused by the direction. When he reached the train station the First took to studying the city map. Midgar was both simple and incredibly convoluted in its construction, at times sectors and streets made perfect sense, but then other times it was just a mess. “Edge of Midgar, edge of Midgar,” he muttered to himself before his eyes landed on the legend and spotted an icon for construction zones. Excited, he searched the map, there were a lot of areas under construction. But, only one landed on an ‘edge’. A small cry of triumph left Zack’s lips, enthused to solve the puzzle he had been given. It was a main street being built that led up the front doors of ShinRa HQ. It was planned to be quite expansive, but so far it was not finished. Excited, Zack got onto the train platform and when the train arrived, road it all the way up. After that, Zack grabbed a taxi and ordered the man to take him to the end of the road unfinished road. 

“Uh, you sure? Look, I don’t want to be involved in anything-” Zack cut him off. 

“I’m SOLDIER First Lieutenant General Zack Fair. I was notified of something amiss there and I am going to check it out before I go home. That’s all, you got nothing to worry about,” Zack assured. With some hesitance, the taxi driver took off. Once they reached the last mile of road the First decided it best he walk, concerned about the covert nature of Sephiroth’s demand and paid the man before walking the rest of the way. It was dark now, past eleven at night when Zack reached the end of the road. And there, rising up from the shadows with a veil of fluttering moonlight hair was none other than Sephiroth dressed in his iconic black leather and fatigues, he was even wearing his pauldrons. Zack stopped and looked at him. Their eyes met. Sephiroth stood still, and the First noticed a suitcase on the ground by his boots and Masamune on his back, which was unusual given the man usually carried it in his hand due to its incredible length. Clearly he was ready to go long distance. Zack’s heart stuttered in his chest before it dropped into his stomach. 

“Seph?”

“Cloud is alive,” Sephiroth declared without falter and Zack froze. It was true. Even though the General had not spoken of it for months, he did still believe it as he thought he did. And then Zack remembered his girlfriend’s words and felt a shudder run down his back as the icy desert wind caressed his back. 

“You really believe that, don’t you?” Zack asked, his words hesitant. 

“I know he is. And I’m going to find him. Hojo even closed the back door I used to get into his database before. That alone is proof that he knows something,” Sephiroth said and Zack felt his heart twist in discomfort. 

“What if you’re wrong? What if Cloud really is gone?” Zack asked and the silverette lifted his head up, his hair whipping wildly when another gust of wind hit them, and closed his eyes, as if sniffing the air. Though that may not at all have been what he was doing.

“I know he’s out there. I can feel him. He’s far, but I know he’s alive. His heart beats here,” Sephiroth said as he placed his right hand over his exposed chest where his heart beat. Zack hesitated, not sure if he should voice how nutty he thought that sounded. But then, what if Cloud really was alive? Obviously, Zack was not bonded to anyone. So he had no idea how it felt. And many bonds had trouble describing how the tether between them felt. The thought of a tether made Zack take a step toward the General, his heart rate picking up. 

“You can feel it? Like it’s stretched thin? But still there?” he asked, not entirely sure what he was even trying to get at. A smile curved Sephiroth’s lips, a sad, lonely one as he gave a solitary nod, and the fellow First’s heart flipped in his chest. 

“I’m going to find him. I called you here because I need someone to inform ShinRa about my desertion,” Sephiroth said and Zack almost choked on his spit before sputtering. 

“What?! Deserting?! Well, I mean-”

“ShinRa is my enemy, Zackary. I will not hesitate to destroy their glass walls if that is what it takes. I am no longer, on ShinRa’s side. Which means, we are no longer on the same side, either,” Sephiroth explained and ice flooded Zack’s veins as sorrow and loss filled him. It was just like Genesis. Just like Angeal. 

“So, I leave it to you to report my desertion,” Sephiroth said as he picked up his suitcase and turned toward the unfinished portion of the road. 

“Wait! Even if you say that, I can’t just end our friendship so easily! And I’m not supposed to just let you go!” Zack cried as he stumbled after the fabled hero, the legend of the Wutai war, right hand slightly outstretched. 

“Just think of it as me retiring,” Sephiroth said, and Zack stopped his advance. Sephiroth looked over his shoulder at the First and smiled. 

“You’re General now. Good luck, Zack,” the silverette said as he grabbed the thick chain of the Crane tucked to the side of the road. 

“I might not ever see you again. But if I do, it will be with Cloud.” And with that, Sephiroth, using strength no normal person could achieve in a single hand, slid down the chain. Zack stared, at a loss. He was going to have to report Sephiroth as… deserted. Gone. And then, he gasped. He had said good luck, Zack. Good luck, Zack. Zack rushed over toward the edge of the road and stared down, but even with mako enhanced vision, he could not see down so far in the midnight darkness. His heart fluttered. He called him Zack.


	23. Nibelheim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth searches for Cloud and makes a stop in Nibelheim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you all so much for all the support you've shown! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as Sephiroth makes some uncomfortable choices.
> 
> Thank you so much, seriously, to everyone who has kept reading this story so far. And thank you so much to everyone who has left kudos and comments! It really means a lot!

There were many places where Cloud could have been taken. Which meant it was going to be a long road. Sephiroth stared down at his map under the blinding light of the sun. Red circles littered various named locations, each numbered. They had to be places that made sense of course. Places with labs, and in particular, places that Hojo had a possible connection to. There was so much ground to cover, it could take a year for the former General to comb through all of them, especially considering all he had were his own two feet. After he folded his map and pocketed it in his leather coat Sephiroth checked a compass before pocketing it too, grabbed his suitcase, and walked on, a violent wind catching his hair and pulling out behind him. He took himself off the beaten path to avoid detection, which increased the number of monster attacks, but the fiends were easily dispatched with Masamune. 

Sephiroth traveled for a while by foot before he was picked up by drivers. Those that recognized him openly gawked the entire time he silently sat in his seat while others gripped their steering wheel so tight it made noise. Eventually the former General used some of his drained savings to purchase a motorcycle in Junon which greatly increased the speed of his ground coverage. But before he left he investigated the labs through various illegal means, which turned up nothing. Disappointed, but not deterred, Sephiroth set out for the next location on his map. As time and locations passed the silverette became quite adept at breaking into labs and other ShinRa related buildings. All it took was a few days of stake outs before he’d spot a staff member with a badge of decent clearance before sneaking up on them either in their apartment or on their way to work to gain their access card.

One cast of sleepel was all it took, though sometimes Sephiroth had ended up using his arm to choke out anyone he found of particular distaste. Disguising himself in foreign clothes and a cheap wig was enough to get him inside where the former General could then hack systems if he needed higher clearance than what he had obtained. He’d been almost caught a few times, but ultimately escaped without incident. Time dragged on; dull and empty days bleeding into weeks, and weeks into months. His nights were either fitful or sleepless in hotels frequently so dirty and in disrepair, they should have had their license taken, but the silverette could not risk being recognized. Sephiroth sustained himself primarily on gas station food and whatever he could hunt in the wild. Once he bought a tent the silverette slept on the outskirts of civilization to avoid being recognized. It wasn’t entirely a new experience, during his tour in Wutai he had been put him quite similar living conditions, though this time he wasn’t behind enemy lines, though that was perhaps debatable.

Sephiroth stood leaned against his bike as he looked at his map, at the angry red marks that crossed out each circle. Across the map filled with red his brow was tense and gaze sharp while his lips formed a straight, thin line. A tired look could be seen from the bags that had formed under his eyes and general waning in the energy of his face. Just like before when he had failed to find Cloud anywhere in Midgar. He could still remember storming into Don Corneo’s palace and nearly making the man piss himself in fear before he was able to force him to talk about anything he knew. Nothing came of it, unfortunately. For once the sleazy bastard was just a bystander. Nothing came of anywhere he had looked in Midgar, be it the plate or the slums below. Without sleep, without stopping his feet other than to lean against some nondescript wall for a few minutes he had searched through every sector, every alley and hole he could find. Though his self-care was better this time around, Sephiroth was far from well maintained or energetic. It was bogging him down- his constant disappointments. Almost five months of searching and he had nothing to show for it.

Sephiroth’s heart squeezed in his chest even though tension had been building up in him for the last couple weeks. He was heading for Cloud’s hometown. It was his next stop, but the idea of going to his mate’s old home, where his grieving mother lived was uncomfortable. Ah, but what cruelty it would be, for Cloud to be there, right under her nose. In the same town where that fake body was buried with a tombstone carrying his name. It was fake, Sephiroth knew that, though sometimes he questioned himself. That charred corpse indeed smelled exactly like Cloud, but there had been this _feeling_ , this _after smell_ of sorts that simply did not _belong_. The silverette wasn’t sure why, but it just smelled wrong, like there was something else mixed in. It couldn’t have been Cloud, no matter what his brain told him, no matter what evidence was produced, something deep inside insisted, scratched at the back of his mind that it was all a lie. 

Maybe he was going insane, maybe he was in denial. But that part of him that insisted with such assurance that Cloud was alive was so strong that he could not ignore it. There was a tension in his chest, it was always there when he was away from his bond, and it always eased away when he held him, and even now, that tension was still there, pulling him to keep walking. Like it was trying to lead him forward, to wherever Cloud was. And he would follow it no matter where, even into the deepest reaches of Northern Crater, or even the depths of hell. There was still so much time left, they were still so young, they should have many decades together. So much to learn, to experience, to do. And there were things he had never told Cloud, more memories, more secrets. And probably even more pressing; words that choked on his tongue and stuttered his thoughts. 

He didn’t even understand the definition of the words to the extent that they applied to Cloud at first, but he was starting to. They had the power to push him forward even when he was certain he would have given up months before. When he found his mate again, he would fully express himself, he would spit out his forbidden words, he would do everything he hesitated to do before. He would give Cloud everything of his being, and they would become a family. No more fear, no more insecurities. Only now did he realize how stupid he had been, to obsess over such inconsequential things as being abnormal. And he would not allow it to hold him back anymore. Even if he were the greatest monster on the planet, if Cloud wanted him all the same, then so what?

Folding up his map the silverette mounted his motorcycle, kicked up the stand with the back of his boot, slid his helmet on, and revved the engine. He pulled onto the road from the dirt pullout and started forward down the small winding road, passed the signpost reading none other than Nibelheim: 50 miles.

~~~

Sephiroth drove into the small town at a slow speed. It was indeed, small. Immediately faces were on him, staring either in surprise or suspicion. The silverette drove through the small town to the water tower, parked, cut the engine, and kicked his stand down. Leaning the heavy black machine on its stand, Sephiroth pulled his helmet off, long waves of silver hair falling around him like a waterfall. Standing straight, Sephiroth hooked his helmet onto the handlebar and pulled Masamune from the weapon slot on the side of the bike. He then turned and looked around him. The main road formed a semi-circle with various homes and a scant few large commercial buildings clustered together. A group of children stood near a General Store, gawking at him. There was some whispering from an elderly couple behind him somewhere, but the silverette ignored it all as he let his eyes study each home. He wanted to spot it, and avoid it. He wasn’t ready to go there yet. 

“My God, are you,” the sound of a woman’s voice jerked Sephiroth’s gaze down to over his left shoulder where a woman with blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail and blue eyes stared up at him, bewildered. Her bangs spiked up, a look that struck a sharp bolt of pain into Sephiroth’s heart and he winced when the young woman of familiar face walked up to him, looking eager and hesitant all at once. 

“You are, aren’t you?” she asked, a basket of vegetables hanging from her arm. She was dressed in a muted orange dress and brown boots, clearly, she had been out shopping. Sephiroth averted his gaze. The feeling of a hand grabbing his own shot a spark of panic through his heart and he looked back as the woman leaned up on her toes to further inspect him before she nodded. And then, she pivoted and pulled. The silverette resisted, but only for a second before following behind the woman when she pulled on him again. Where was he going? He wasn’t sure he wanted to follow. He had never met this woman, but he knew her. Her face and even her scent were similar enough, even if the hair hadn’t been such a dead giveaway. Sephiroth understood then, how his mate came out to look so beautiful. He followed off the main road and in the near distance until he saw the tall fence erected behind a cluster of homes. The gate that stood open in sorrowful welcome and the few statues of angels that rose up above it all indicated what sort of place it was. He froze, feet unmovable. When the woman could not pull him anymore he stopped and looked over her shoulder. 

“You’re from SOLDIER aren’t you? From ShinRa? The one in the posters? You were one his friends, right?” the woman asked. Sephiroth’s heart twisted sharp in pain and his throat clenched tight. No, he wasn’t friends, he was more than friends. And she had no idea. No idea what Cloud meant to him, and what he meant to her son. The word stung in him, swelling forth a need to correct her, but he had no right to do that. He had marked Cloud, bonded them violently and without permission. She would want to know how it happened too. She would want to know what she was never told. Sephiroth couldn’t understand Cloud’s insistence on telling her in person, but there was nothing to be done about it now. He looked up ahead at the cemetery that taunted him with its skeleton frame. It was fake. Cloud’s body wasn’t in there. He didn’t need to go there. Suddenly calm at such thoughts, Sephiroth relaxed. He gave a nod, but pulled his hand, and when he did the woman let it go without resistance. 

“Don’t you want to visit him?” she asked, her voice slightly higher, perhaps hurt by his rejection. “No one’s come to visit him out of town. So I thought,” the woman’s voice quavered slightly and she looked down a moment, clearly blinking back tears before sniffing and wiping her eyes. 

“I’m here for something else that must be attended to first,” Sephiroth said, voice flat and cold. The woman looked up at him, alarmed before glaring. 

“If you’re his friend, then you see him first! What’s wrong with you?! No one’s come to see him from that place! You hear! He needs to see his friends, dammit! What kind of friend are you?!” the woman yelled, hands balling into tight fists at her sides. “You city people are all the same! You have no heart!” The silverette extended his hand and put it on her shoulder, and after a brief pause, the woman’s eyes were wet again. 

“It’s been almost a year. You’ve been holding back a long time. But you should know, we had a funeral service in Midgar, and all of Cloud’s friends came to pay him respects, even some SOLDIER Firsts,” Sephiroth informed, embellishing slightly. A sob caught in the woman’s throat before she put her face in her hands. 

“I know, I’m sorry. I got a letter from a SOLDIER First a couple weeks after he came home. He expressed such fondness for Cloud. But, still, I thought someone from the city would visit him at least once,” the woman sobbed. 

“The military is very busy. I am sorry, that,” Sephiroth hesitated. He wouldn’t say it, couldn’t. Whoever, or whatever was buried in that coffin was not the holder of that name. “I’m sure people will start trickling in soon,” he lied. The woman looked up, and the silverette offered his best smile, though he was quite certain she could see through the lie. Recovering from her emotional outburst the woman wiped her eyes and took deep breaths to calm herself. When recovered, she smiled at Sephiroth. 

“Why don’t you come inside for some food? It’s a long way between Nibelheim and civilization. You must be hungry!” the woman said as she brazenly grabbed Sephiroth’s hand again and started to pull him back to town. 

“I can’t believe my son made friends with The Sephiroth! He never told me! But I guess that was after he finished basic training. He got so busy he stopped sending me letters,” the woman said. 

“Ms. Strife-”

“Claudia,” she corrected. “Awful nice of you to use ‘Ms.’ though. I mean, I did pop out a kid. Even not married, most people still call me ‘Mrs.’ Funny, isn’t it?” she said, chatting up a storm. Sephiroth was led to a small home nestled between many others and was ushered inside. The interior smelled of wood, flowery cleaners, and of course, the mountain air. It also smelled like Cloud, like a small bit of the home had ingrained into his very body. Sephiroth looked across the large main level of the house where the living room, kitchen, and dining area made up one large compartment. It was spacious in comparison to his apartment. To his left were stairs that most likely led up to the bedrooms, and the silverette felt his heart stall a second. Cloud’s bedroom was up there. The one with the posters, magazines, and newspaper clippings about him. 

“Please, have a seat and relax!” Claudia urged when she left him and walked up to the kitchen counter to place her basket of vegetables. Sephiroth watched her work at the sink washing the produce, moving around with great familiarity and ease as she finished and pulled things from cabinets and the fridge. 

“It’s such short notice, so we’ll make due with a Nibel sandwich, which is of course, Nibel Wolf. I’m sure you’ve heard all the jokes. Have you had Nibel Wolf before? Cloud grew up on it you know, the reason why he was so strong and healthy,” she prattled on as she looked over her shoulder before once again motioning the silverette to the left side of the room where the dining table sat. 

“No, Cloud,” Sephiroth’s breath caught for a second when his heart stuttered, “he really liked beef,” he forced out in a breath. Perhaps he should take a seat. The silverette walked over the dining table, pulled out a chair and sat down heavily, head down and eyes to the table. 

“Sephiroth, sir, wow, it still is weird to say that in person,” Claudia said as a plate with a glass of water was put down in front of the man. It was uncomfortable, painful to be waited on by the mother of his missing mate, a mother who thought her baby dead. If she thought he was gone, his own mother, maybe he really was just… in denial.

“Sephiroth?” Sephiroth’s shoulder’s twitched at her questioning tone as he leaned his arms on the table and stared at the sandwich. It had been cut diagonally in half. Something that just somehow seemed so motherly. 

“Oh! I didn’t ask if you were lactose-intolerant!” Claudia gasped. Sephiroth lifted his hand in a stop motion. 

“I’m fine,” he muttered. After a moment of silence the blonde woman moved to the table and sat down across from him, smiling. 

“It’s okay, I get it. It must be painful to see him right away,” she said, suddenly changing the topic back to a previously discarded one. “We can go later, tomorrow, or whenever you need before you go,” she said. The tension wound up tight in the silverette, affecting his heart, his vision, and even his vocal cords. He needed to say something. That tension his heart, it was still there, it was being pulled by someone on the other side, almost harder than before. 

“Cloud is alive,” Sephiroth blurted finally, relieving the tension in his lungs and body, but then, a new wave of it gripped him. The silverette chanced a look up and froze, everything in his body locked tight, even his lungs. Everything just stopped. Claudia was smiling, wide and strained to keep it from trembling as water pilled out from her eyes. Panic assailed the former General. He started to stand when Claudia put her face in her hands and cried out. 

“Oh, thank God!” she gasped and Sephiroth froze once more, half risen from his seat as his heart thumped loud in his ears. “No one would believe me! All my neighbors say I’m crazy now! No one would answer my calls over at ShinRa. Monster attack, a fiend attack they said, but nothing could ever be elaborated on! No matter who I talked to, they pushed me aside and ran me around their fucking call system!” Ms. Strife started laughing, incessant and loud. Sephiroth sat down and stared, eyes wide in wonder. Did he just… break her?

“Please, tell me you know where he is?” Claudia asked when she finally started to reign in her manic reaction and the silverette’s expression soured as he looked away in shame. 

“I wish, I had an answer to that. But, I’ve been looking,” Sephiroth informed as Claudia finally ceased her sobbing laughter. Ms. Strife frowned and gave a solitary, sad nod. 

“I… I see. I was really hoping. I mean, after I got caught trying to break into ShinRa Mansion. I mean, I wondered if that was why you were here. So I did not expect you to say that Cloud was alive,” Claudia said, rambling a bit. 

“I’ve retired from ShinRa,” Sephiroth informed and the blonde woman across from him stared in silent surprise a moment before nodding. 

“Oh, wow. I see. So you have nothing to do with that then,” she said. The two fell into silence then. Sephiroth looked down at his sandwich for a long moment, debating on the words in his mind. What words should he say? What words were wise? Which words were stupid? He lifted his eyes from his offered meal. 

“Did you know that Cloud went into heat?” he asked and Claudio’s head whipped up from where it had lowered to stare at her lap and stared into his face. She turned her head slightly, disbelief and confusion in her face. 

“What?” she asked. Well, one of Cloud’s questions had been answered. She never knew. Sephiroth leaned on the table again, his heart thumping hard in his chest. It was time, even if he wasn’t sure he was ready or willing, Ms. Strife deserved to know. It would make things easier when he found Cloud too.

“Yes. He was a late bloomer,” he explained and Claudia’s lips parted just slightly, openly gawking before her eyelids fluttered and she ran her hand through her hair. 

“Wait, we’ve been betas for generations. Even his father had been a beta. How-”

“It happens. It’s rare, roughly a 12% chance. So it made quite a stir,” Sephiroth explained and Claudia pressed her back to her chair, staring at him, stunned. 

“Wait, so my baby was-is, an omega?” she asked and the silverette nodded. 

“Why did he not come home?!” she gasped. Those words, Sephiroth bit back on. 

“I can’t say. But, you should know, that is how Cloud and I met. We are,” he paused, suddenly feeling a new level of stress he had yet to experience. Worse than the fear of death or bodily harm on the battlefield. “We are bonded,” he explained and though Ms. Strife remained still a moment. As if some switch had suddenly flipped she jumped up and slammed her hands on the table. 

“You and my boy are bonded?! How?! You had better not-you alphas are always so damned horny for omegas!” Claudia suddenly spoke in rapid fire, clearly pulling from negative associations and events in her mind. Sephiroth waited patiently for her finish, even if it did stab him somewhat due to just how true the statement was. He had lost control due to Cloud’s heat, fucked him, and bit him. Silence filled the air before Sephiroth dared lift his face to look into blue eyes. It was the time of choice, the time to speak choked words that stuttered his thoughts. To say words that held so much meaning it was almost uncomfortable that they existed at all. But they were words that needed to be said. Words that should have been said to Cloud in person, not through a proxy. Cloud should be the first to hear them, but it was so much harder to say them to him specifically. Because of their weight. 

“I love Cloud,” Sephiroth informed. It wasn’t like admitting that would save him from any punishment for his crimes. But, maybe she’d understand them in the here and now, rather than any possible bad start. After a few minutes of perhaps debate, Claudia took her seat. 

“You should eat,” she said and Sephiroth looked down at his meal before taking one half of the sandwich into his hands and biting into it. When he finished, Claudia cleaned up his plate. 

“You can stay the night,” she said when she leaned against the edge of the sink with her hands. 

“I was thinking I’d stay at an Inn,” Sephiroth informed quietly. 

“No, the couch works too. Save your money. I’d offer Cloud’s room, but I’m sure it would be upsetting being in there when we don’t know where he is,” Claudia said, drawing the silverette’s eyes to her profile. Sephiroth wondered if she was truly like him, feeling that Cloud was there, or if she was in severe denial herself. She didn’t exactly seem to be stable, and he wondered if her son’s death had broken her to some degree. After all, Sephiroth recognized how insane he sounded to Zack, insistent that Cloud was alive when everyone else thought he was dead. And Ms. Strife had gone so far as attempting to break into ShinRa Manor. Sephiroth gave a nod of relent. 

“What makes you think Cloud is alive?” Claudia asked suddenly, staring at no place in particular, but avoiding Sephiroth.

“I just, know,” Sephiroth answered before absently touching his exposed chest over where his heart thumped. 

“You feel it, right?” she asked. The silverette looked down at his hand. 

“Like a tension that only eases when he is near. I felt it every time I went away, and it went away every time we,” he heart skipped a beat when he realized he was about to say something potentially inappropriate, “...saw each other. It’s still there, telling me he is somewhere. I just need to find him, and the tension will ease,” Sephiroth explained and Claudia nodded. 

“Yeah, like a tension line. Pulled tight when you are gone, like you said,” Ms. Strife said as she turned from the sink and finally looked at the silverette. Their eyes met and he was given a beautiful smile. 

“When you find Cloud, you better bring him home. Or else I will never give your bond my blessing. Which means bad luck, you know,” Claudia informed and though it was difficult, awkward, Sephiroth gave a slight smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cheap wig was a reference to Cloud's time in Wall Maret. lol


	24. ShinRa Manor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth breaks into ShinRa Manor to find what never should have been taken and makes a chilling discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you all so much for your support on the story so far! It really means a lot! Thank you everyone who has kept up reading! And to those of you who have left comments and kudos! ^_^
> 
> Sephiroth explores infamous ShinRa Manor, and well all know what sort of heinous secrets hide there...

Sephiroth lay awake on the couch, staring up at the rafters above him. Claudia had gone to sleep roughly an hour ago. It was dark and chilly. Slowly, the silverette sat up, the throw blanket falling off of him before he gathered it up, folded it, and placed it on the couch by the pillow. He had never intended to sleep. He couldn’t. Night time was the best time to move around. Quietly the former General grabbed Masamune and walked out of the house. He was careful to twist the lock on the front door before he closed it and started on his way. ShinRa Manor loomed over the town like an evil lord, casting a rather ominous shadow over it at the right time of day. During this time of night, it seemed to block the moon like a bully. ShinRa Manor was unique due to how lax the guarding was. No actually guards patrolled it usually from what Sephiroth had gathered during his research. But its gate was massive and hard to break open or climb over. Sephiroth, however, was far from concerned about how impregnable the walls or gate were. 

In fact, the security was so laughable he would have no problem with simply cutting the gate down with Masamune and strolling in. It would be days before anyone from ShinRa could do anything. And even longer before anyone that could actually give him trouble. By that point, Sephiroth would have either found Cloud or moved on, so there was no point in even stressing about it. When Sephiroth walked to the end of town and stopped at the gate he glared at its imposing structure. His heart fluttered his chest and a surge of adrenaline flooded his veins. A sudden giddiness filled his chest and he smiled. Suddenly, he felt very good, very confident. Unsheathing the long blade, Sephiroth hefted the sword in front of him, raised it above his head, and slashed down at a vertically between the two sides of the gate, making sure to keep his wrist straight and steady to apply the proper force. The resistance of the metal was hardly felt, even though his blade made the barest of twitches in his hand as it sliced through any locks. Done with that, the silverette kicked at one side of the slumping gate and it scraped open from the force before he walked in without worry while he sheathed his Masamune. 

ShinRa Manor was large. Sephiroth figured Cloud would be hidden somewhere, like in a secret room, probably below ground. So he fully checked all the walls, and around desks, looking for anything like a switch, a soft spot in the wallpaper, or even a crack in a wall. It was almost comical in its absurdity, but ShinRa really was the sort of organization to have a secret room locked behind some President ShinRa bust pull switch. Disappointed with his findings on the ground floor he went up. He checked the left wing and then moved to the right. At the far end of the right wing Sephiroth found a bedroom with a double bed and a bookcase. Immediately his eyes set upon a rounded, distended portion of the wall. Thinking about the architecture of the manor the silverette pulled out a thick folding of wrinkled and coffee stained papers and flipped through them until he found the floor plan that he had stolen from ShinRa before he had even left, as he had done with many of the locations and labs he had visited, and looked at it. He located his current position and his eyebrows rose in promise as he walked over and placed his hand to the wall. He pushed and it gave a little. Then the former General lifted his hand with the back of his knuckles froward and his ear pressed to the wall, and knocked. 

The hollow, thin sound that hit his ear made his heart flutter in his chest as Sephiroth crammed the old, wrinkled collection of paperss into his pocket. Immediately he began to feel out the wall, searching until he found an indentation and followed it with his gloved fingers, heart pulsing hard in his chest as he mapped out a large rectangular space. He found something. Sephiroth searched around the wall, the floor, and then the bookcase. Hastily, he started to throw books onto the floor, sliding and shoving them to his feet as he searched for something, anything. And then, a dim light shined from a spot on the wall where a square had been removed from the back of the bookcase on the second to uppermost shelf. Excited he reached inside and pushed it, a click was heard, then the rumble of gears before a heavy drag as the secret door slid open with effort. Eyes wide and breath quickened at his first real hint of anything, he stepped down through the entryway. It was a tower, as he had noticed from the blueprints. Stairs spiraled down from the secret door, very old and almost half-rotted, which gave the silverette a flash of concern. If it was in such poor condition, perhaps it wasn’t really used anymore. But, as he looked down the ramping, he noticed a faint green light below and swallowed around the sudden lump that had formed in his throat. 

This was it. It had to be. Every cell in his body was screaming, urging him to rush down the stairs. But, he reasoned himself to calm and with a hand against the brick walling, made his way down the steps, careful to hear for any warning of weak points in the wood. A distinct aseptic smell filled the air, clearly the work of an extremely clean environment, like a hospital. But there was an underlying smell of something acidic and sharp, a smell Sephiroth knew well. As he stepped onto the cobblestone floor slow bubbling caught his ears and his heart jumped in his chest as he hurried his steps forward. The very first thing to be seen was a large desk with various documents and medical equipment. Beyond that was a pathway of books, a library of sorts lining a hall. Sephiroth walked quickly, not interested in anything that did not have anything to do with his goal. The hallway broke out into a large laboratory. And he froze. At the far back of the room, passed operating tables with large overhead lights and other metallic surfaces were large human-sized tubes, and in the farthest left one was a sight that made his knees buckle. Sephiroth collapsed, staring up wide-eyed and mouth dry as Masamune’s sheath smacked into the stone when he dropped it. 

Completely nude with arms crossed over his chest and ankles pressed together was none other than Cloud. Eyes closed with a mask fastened over his mouth and nose the blonde floated in a tube of putrid slow bubbling green. In a second thought returned to Sephiroth and he jumped to his feet and walked over to one of the many consoles that surrounded the tubes. There were so many blinking lights, buttons, dials, and levers it would have been impossible for anyone to know exactly how to operate it. But Sephiroth did not hesitate to smash a big red button to the upper right of the console closest to Cloud, and a red light flashed through the room as a loud hissing sound filled the air, coinciding with a sudden drain of the mako. As the fluid drained Cloud’s body sank limply to the bottom of the tube, and when it was empty of the vile water there was a series of loud bangs and of a pipe rattling somewhere above. When all was quiet, Sephiroth pulled a lever before he walked over to the tube. The door slid open, letting loose an ominous green fog as he took a step in and knelt down. He unlatched the mask over his mate’s face and let it fall away before gathering Cloud’s limp body into his arms. Geen steam rose from off of the blonde’s pale, sickly flesh, almost like he was radioactive. 

Sephiroth reached one of the tables and with a swipe of his arm, threw off books, beakers, and any manner of equipment, ignoring the loud clattering and shattering before he placed his precious burden upon the surface. Cloud splayed out on the surface, limbs falling over the sides without any resistance before an odd shiver wracked his body and the silverette sped up his already decided upon intention of removing his coat and laying it over the blonde. The silverette then walked over, picked up Masamune and fastened it to his bare back as he had taken to doing when he had been traveling on foot, returned to Cloud, and carefully took him into his arms. With the blonde’s head against his neck, Sephiroth was able to free up a hand, to which he used his teeth to pull his glove off and tested his bond’s pulse. It was very slow and feint, and the silverette’s heart twist painfully in his chest as he leaned his head against his mate’s and started walking. He walked through the lab, up the spiral stairs, through the manor, and out its doors. As soon as Sephiroth exited into the courtyard he halted. None other than Claudia Strife stood there in the courtyard, dressed in a long nightgown, eyes wide, expression torn between confusion, fear, and joy. 

“This is what you meant, when you said you had something to do,” she said simply and Sephiroth gave a wordless nod. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked. 

“I didn’t know. I came here to see,” the silverette explained and a look of pain and frustration twisted her brow and filled her eyes. 

“Let’s get him home!” Claudia said, and Sephiroth nodded as he followed quickly after Claudia. The silverette kept his eyes peeled as he pulled the blonde tight to his naked chest, not wanting to let his most precious possession even twitch away from him. The shudders suddenly increased and Sephiroth quickened his pace, almost passing Ms. Strife before the two reached the house. 

“What should we do?!” Claudia cried once the door was shut and she spun around and grabbed Cloud’s face before turning it to examine him. “Oh, Lord, he’s so pale! My baby!” she gasped.

“I think, I think it might be Mako Poisoning,” Sephiroth said though his throat tightened and it became hard to speak. He swallowed. “He needs to be cleaned, there’s still mako residue on him,” he informed and Claudia went into action. 

“Upstairs!” She said as she took the lead, running up the stairs as Sephiroth quickly ascended behind her. By the time he made it to the only room with a light on, Ms. Strife already had the water going in the tub as she tested the temperature with her fingers. 

“A shower would be best, we need to wash it all away,” Sephiroth stated as he stood with Cloud still pressed to his body as he leaned his head against the blonde hair that was beginning to spike again as it dried. It was only with a glance at him that Claudia pulled the diverter and water spit out of the shower spout. 

“Do you think he’ll be hungry? I could make something!” Ms. Strife said, anxious energy zipping through her as Sephiroth let his jacket fall away from Cloud. He turned them somewhat, attempting to give the blonde some modesty even if it really didn’t matter at the moment, and Claudia proved it useless when she rushed up to the silverette after he put his foot into the bottom of the tub, and took partial hold of Cloud to help lower him into it. 

“I,” Sephiroth paused as he took his foot out of the tub and knelt down while keeping one hand behind the blonde’s head. “I don’t know when he’ll wake up,” he admitted and his stomach twisted into knots. 

“What?” Claudia said, her voice slightly distressed. 

“Mako Poisoning is a very serious illness. Some people, some people never wake up,” Sephiroth explained. The silence that fell between them was filled with the sound of the shower water hitting the tub and Cloud’s legs. 

“Y-you mean,” Ms. Strife gasped, a sob catching in her throat.

“I don’t know. Right now he’s comatose. I don’t know when or if he will wake up,” Sephiroth explained. Claudia looked at her naked son, sprawled out boneless in the tub, and blinked back the water in her eyes. She then smiled, her lips twitching and voice quavering as she spoke. 

“But hey, he’s not dead,” she blubbered as she reached her hand forward and pet Cloud’s hair before sucking in a deep breath and fluttering her eyelids to fight off tears. “At least, he’s not,” her voice distorted and she pulled away to take a deep breath. She then looked to Sephiroth, her look pleading. “He’s alive, that’s what matters!” she said, and Sephiroth blinked, his eyes suddenly… hot. She said that for herself, to convince herself that her son being a vegetable was better than dead, but many would argue it was the same. Suddenly hands were on the former General’s face and he jerked his eyes to hers. 

“It’s okay. Cloud is special. He’ll wake up. He’ll beat it and come back to us,” she asserted firmly despite the water glittering in her eyes. Sephiroth took a deep, stuttering breath through the nose. It was strange, to be comforted by a woman on the verge of breaking down. “So please, you don’t need to cry, okay? If you lose it, who will take care of him?” Claudia said and the silverette tensed a second when Ms. Strife’s fingers slid across his cheeks, wiping away cool water he hadn’t felt at all. Sephiroth blinked, pulled away from those warm hands, and shook his head slightly. He hadn’t realized, had he actually been crying? He certainly had been feeling upset, but he hadn’t even noticed. Claudia smiled then. 

“I’ll make some coffee, and you do your job and take care of my boy. He’s your bond, right?” Ms. Strife said and Sephiroth gave a slow, solitary, mystified nod. “Good,” and then Claudia stood up and started for the open door. She paused. 

“I believe you now. You held Cloud so tight, and here you are, going to bathe him. And I haven’t seen one second of hesitation. You haven’t thought at all about it, have you? About what a pain it will be to take care of him as a vegetable?” she asked and Sephiroth slowly looked to Cloud, face relaxed and head lolled against his arm. 

“No, I hadn’t,” he said and Claudia smiled as she walked out the door. After collecting himself, Sephiroth rinsed Cloud’s body of the taint of mako. When he was finished that he found soap and washed the blonde down a second time before thoroughly shampooing his hair, making sure to get to the entirety of the scalp. When he was done, Sephiroth turned the shower off, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around his mate. He paused when he lifted the blonde into his arms, not sure where to go. Another shiver working through the blonde brought him closer to the former General’s chest and Cloud’s body stilled. The silverette stepped into the hallway and saw a new light on, and decided to go towards it. What Sephiroth found was a room without much decoration, but the few that he saw, were all SOLDIER related. A small smile tugged his lips as he stepped inside, and right in front of the door slightly to the left was a large bed with a set of clothes folded on the closest corner. Without missing a beat, Sephiroth laid Cloud down and immediately went to drying him off. 

With the blonde dry the silverette gently dressed him in the boxers, t-shirt, and shorts provided and tucked him beneath the covers. Once Cloud was in place, Sephiroth sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at the wood planks below his boots. He was still for a long moment, listening to his mate’s heartbeat and taking in his familiar bodily scent. He smelled different due to the mako; it radiated from his pores, corrupting his usually purely enticing scent. It would fade in time, or he’d get used to it, but in the meantime, the silverette would have to deal with the unpleasant smell; an intimate piece of evidence of the crimes practices against them both. Sephiroth lifted his gaze to the walls of the room, and right in front of him was a posture of none other than himself. The silverette remembered when he’d been told to hold Masamune out, smile, and pose in a “strong” manner. He had hated having it done, he never liked his picture being taken. He looked menacing rather than inspiring, at least that was what he always thought. All it did was reflect his abnormality back at him and immortalize it for the world. 

There were only two other posters in the room, almost like each wall got only one. One was of a high-end motorcycle from a well reputed company. Sephiroth felt his heart twist slightly, Cloud had never told him that he liked motorcycles. It just proved how much they still needed to get to know each other. The other was of SOLDIER again and didn’t have Sephiroth’s face on it, though it did have a propagandized quote, one from his own lips which had been altered to excite the young men destined to serve, sprawled in large, bold font across it with the ShinRa logo behind it. A nightstand with a lamp sat next to Sephiroth with a large window above Cloud’s bed. There was a long wood dresser that sat by the door, a rug that didn’t quite make it out from under the bed, perhaps a remnant from when Cloud had slept in a much smaller one. There was a closet behind him on the other side of the room, and a body length mirror mounted to the wall by the closet, though it was too dusty to really be used as a mirror. A desk sat against the wall in front of Sephiroth from where he sat, cleaned off with the chair pushed against it. 

“His room used to always have clothes all over the floor,” Claudia said, interrupting Sephiroth’s visual exploration of the room. He looked to the blonde woman who stood at the door with a mug of steaming coffee in her hand. 

“Sorry, the ancient coffee maker loves to cause problems, and it’s slow as hell,” Ms. Strife said as she walked over, took the top of the mug between her fingers, and offered out the handle. Sephiroth took the mug by the handle and gave a small, forced smile as he lifted it to his lips. 

“Thanks,” he muttered as Claudia’s eyes drifted to her son. 

“He looks like he’s just sleeping,” she said. 

“For all intents and purposes, he is,” Sephiroth informed as he put the mug onto the bedside table by the in-use lamp. 

“How often do people recover?” Claudia asked. 

“I don’t really know, but I think we shouldn’t be too eager. For now, one day at a time is best, I think,” Sephiroth said. There was a percentage he could have given, but he didn’t want to. Not only because he didn’t want to think about it, but because he didn’t think Ms. Strife’s fragile mental state could handle such news because it wasn’t good. In the next couple of days, it would be easier to see just how bad it was, but until then, he didn’t want to consciously think about it.


	25. To Cherish In Sickness and In Health

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth cares for his comatose mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! ^_^ Thank you all so much for your support on this story! All the comments and kudos were so lovely! This story is on track already to be my longest fic ever! After the next chapter that is. lol
> 
> Sephiroth and Claudia take turns caring for Cloud, but Sephiroth ends up hogging him in the end. XD
> 
> I hope everyone that reads this chapter enjoys!

Sephiroth woke on his side, curled against Cloud, his right hand at rest on his mate’s rising and falling chest. It took a second for the fog of confusion in his mind to clear, reminding him of the events of the night. Ah, yes, he had found his bond, which explained the fact that he had actually slept for a few hours without disturbance. The silverette stared at the blonde’s profile from his spot on his claimed pillow, his mate was expressionless but relaxed as his chest rose and fell in deep, steady breaths. Lifting his hand up to Cloud’s throat, he checked his pulse, it was more level and had a little more strength to it, but it still wasn’t quite where it should be. Sephiroth sat up, the blanket falling off his waist, which he affixed around his mate as he got up and walked around to the blonde’s side of the bed. The mako smell had faded a little more, though it was still clung to his scent. It probably would always be there, at least to anyone with mako enhanced senses. Sephiroth crouched at the bedside and brushed his hand through the blonde’s soft spikes, enjoying how they moved and flattened and broke apart against his hand before returning to normal when he retracted his finger to perform another pet. 

“Breakfast is ready,” Ms. Strife’s voice informed and the silverette glanced over his shoulder before he gave a nod. Standing up, he once again smoothed out the bedspread and walked away, glancing for a lingering moment at the bedroom doorway before he left down the hall and stairs. At the breakfast table, Sephiroth noticed that Cloud’s mother looked worn. There were dark bags under her eyes and she looked slightly pale, her eyes were even a bit bloodshot. 

“Perhaps you should get some sleep,” Sephiroth suggested as he picked his fork and knife to cut into the thin shank of Nibel Wolf. Claudia looked up at him, looking almost dazed. 

“Ah, can’t get anything passed you. I couldn’t sleep last night. Normally it’s the mother's job to nurse and fuss over her baby but you had it so covered I had nothing to do. I guess because of that I just had too much energy,” Ms. Strife informed and the silverette’s delicate brow tensed up slightly. 

“My apologies. I didn’t intend to hog him all night,” Sephiroth said and a single loud laugh broke from Ms. Strife before a smile curved her lips and small giggle left her lips. 

“You are so polite, my goodness!” she laughed for a moment longer before she calmed. “It’s fine. I honestly was really moved to see you care for him so attentively. It makes me glad that even though you two bonded without my knowledge,” she said before giving him a somewhat judging look, “and perhaps suddenly,” she then lightened her voice, “that he is so loved. Doesn’t always happen that way you know, especially in unplanned bondings,” Ms. Strife informed and Sephiroth gave a slight nod. 

“As long as Cloud is loved and cared for, and happy of course, what more can a mother ask for? I’m really happy, even if there’s this bitterness in me. I want to know the bastard that took my boy away, lied to me, and put him in such a state. I’m usually not a violent woman, but I want to hurt the bastard. The gall, right under my nose!” Ms. Strife declared, anger filling her voice as she finished her statement. Sephiroth remained silent, knowing it would not be wise to sick a simple mother on the likes of ShinRa or in particular, the morally corrupt Hojo. 

“I don’t even know who that is in the cemetery now! Was it an actual body? Or some poor bastard that was murdered to take his place,” Ms. Strife gasped, suddenly quite animated. “My Lord, why would they go so far?! That’s lunacy!” Claudia added in horror, clearly realizing more and more implications the longer she thought on it. Sephiroth held his tongue, not wanting to involve an average civilian in such parlous matters. Breakfast was finished in quiet after that with only the scrape and clink of silverware against ceramic filling the room. When the silverette finished he stood, thanked Ms. Strife for the food, and went back upstairs. 

He didn’t have anything else he wanted to do, but remain beside Cloud and hope for his waking. Upon returning to the bed, Sephiroth gave the blonde as detailed of a medical exam as he could with his limited knowledge, though perhaps more detailed than the average civilian. Cloud’s heartbeat was steady and strong again, but he had become incredibly sweaty, no doubt in reaction to his mako poisoning. But no matter what auditory and sensation tests he performed, Cloud was absolutely without response. With nothing better to do, the silverette wiped his mate of his sweat, readjusted his blankets, and laid down by his side. Before Claudia took Sephiroth’s advice to sleep, she did appear with some books for the silverette to read. They were mostly classics, books he’d read before, but with a bitter laugh, Sephiroth picked up the unexpected copy of Animal Farm and sat back to read. 

After two days of watching over Cloud and wiping him down, ShinRa infantry and staff came into town. They were investigating the ShinRa Manor break-in. Sephiroth sat in Cloud’s bed with the blonde fully dressed in his lap, forehead nestled in the juncture between his shoulder and neck, and Masamune on the bed at his side, ready to be grabbed. Claudia came in and froze when she saw her son, dressed in a SOLDIER First uniform, sitting in the silverette’s lap. 

“Are you leaving?” she asked, her voice high and quavering in upset. Sephiroth looked at her calmly, expression set firm. 

“If ShinRa comes in here, I will kill them and leave, with Cloud,” he said, tone resolute. Claudia released an apparent sigh of relief that she had been holding loudly and sagged forward slightly before she straightened her back, walked over, and sat on the end of the bed, staring at the doorway.

“Don’t worry. I really doubt ShinRa will get in here,” she assured. 

“They will question the townspeople,” Sephiroth inserted. 

“Yeah, and they won’t get squat,” she said. “You’re an outsider so you don’t know anything about this town. While it’s true we all use ShinRa’s electricity now, we still don’t like ShinRa. You see, we never wanted that reactor up there on Mount Nibel. The townspeople then even tried to sabotage and chase away the construction workers. It never would have happened if our old village elder, a timid, spineless fellow by the name of Broden, hadn’t agreed to the construction, overriding the will of the town. No one, will cooperate with ShinRa. There could be a murder in town, a disaster, and if ShinRa tried to help, we’d tell them to get out and do the work ourselves,” Claudia explained before looking over her shoulder to give Sephiroth a smile. 

“In fact, most men here never respond to their military summons. Due to our remote location, and I guess the violent history between us and ShinRa, we’ve never had anyone arrested for it. We’re rebels I guess,” Ms. Strife informed and chuckled softly. “It’s good that you retired from ShinRa. Otherwise, you’d be outright rejected here. It’s funny, after all the trouble with the reactor, once it was finished, ShinRa Manor was emptied out of staff. It used to be bustling with ShinRa science people and security. But there were a lot of attacks on the staff there because of anger over the reactor. Maybe ShinRa thought it was too much of a headache and decided to leave.” Sephiroth glanced down at Cloud’s head of hair. 

“I’m surprised Cloud answered his military summons,” he silverette said. 

“Well, for my boy, it was less about some duty and more about his dream. He wanted to join SOLDIER. He wanted to make that rare Third post and then beat that. He’s a fighter down to the bone. That, and, times change, especially when a new generation grows up,” Claudia explained as her eyes drifted to Cloud’s slumped head against Sephiroth’s neck before facing forward again. 

“Anyway, you won’t need to worry about ShinRa. Just stay inside like you’ve been. They won’t be getting anywhere near you or my baby.” With that, Ms. Strife stood up and left with the announcement that lunch would be ready soon.

Sephiroth kept Cloud with him through the rest of the day. And he waited, careful of what was happening in the town through whatever Claudia told him. After three days ShinRa packed up and left, leaving the town to relax and resume their normal, quiet lives. 

A couple days after that, Sephiroth broke into ShinRa manor once again, their new barrier absolutely pittance for an obstruction. Luckily, since the silverette had no need to disturb any of the technology, there would likely be no alarm raised. So he rummaged the leftovers of the medical-grade equipment until he found what he could use to make a feeding tube for Cloud, and a catheter. After that, Sephiroth spent his days wiping down his mate keep him clean while Ms. Strife used the feeding tube initially under his supervision after she prepared liquefied foods and fluids to support her son. Claudia was ultimately put in charge of keeping the equipment clean and feeding her son, which she seemed to greatly appreciate while Sephiroth set about doing labor around the town when he wasn’t cleaning Cloud from any manner of situations that were inevitable. His daily labor usually involved repairs of homes or equipment, though he did not know how to do anything, his strength was greatly used to the advantage of the people who ordered him around for their tasks.

The days bled into weeks, and every night Sephiroth made sure Cloud was clean, his catheter was clean, secure, and the bag not in need of a change before he tucked him into his place in bed. Then with a kiss to his mate’s forehead, Sephiroth would read until bed. Then he’d rise, repeat what he’d done before bed and then went out to see if he could be of use to anyone. The town’s people were now well aware who he was, it didn’t take long for them to recognize or figure him out. And apparently, they knew about Sephiroth's 'retirement', and he had even been congratulated for leaving ShinRa. Though he was reminded by a few of the more cantankerous individuals to never do anything to trouble the town, especially in regards to ShinRa.

~~~

Sephiroth roused somewhat hesitantly, his mind not wanting to fully raise the flag of alert when some sort of soft, throaty sound caught his ear. The silverette jerked upright and twisted to look at Cloud, who had… moved. It was the first time the blonde had twitched even a muscle. Pulling the blanket away Sephiroth realized that it appeared Cloud’s catheter had come out, perhaps when he had rolled over. He stared, watching the blonde- he had moaned. He had heard it, he was certain. Cloud had made a noise, he had moved. The silverette’s heart started to beat harder in his chest as he reached forward, almost hesitant, and touched the blonde’s shoulder. No reaction. His heart sank into his stomach as the silverette got off the bed, checked over the equipment, reset Cloud, and replaced the catheter. Sephiroth sat in the permanent chair at the blonde’s bedside for a long while, staring at him, wanting to see it happen again. There was no way the blonde could have moved unless he had done it himself. In the end, the silverette sat in his chair and stared at Cloud until the light of the breaking dawn started to filter in despite the curtains over the bedroom window. Cloud did not move off his back again. Not even a twinge of muscle movement in his face. Even more disappointed, Sephiroth resumed his morning routine. After his usual morning activities, Sephiroth was dressed in a white button-down cotton shirt over his leather pants, working on a gutter on another house when a cry reached his ears from somewhere below.

“Sephiroth! You’ve got to come home, quick!” The silverette jerked his eyes from where they had been focused and down to the blonde woman that came running full speed towards his location at the top of a ladder. Quickly, he descended the ladder and his hand was quickly grabbed by Claudia. She was beyond excited and grinning from ear to ear. Sephiroth’s heart skipped a beat and with only a glance back at the homeowner atop the roof himself, he left with a nod of dismissal. He was nearly running with Ms. Strife, far too excited to utter a word or even temper his emotions. The front door was wide open and Claudia rushed in with the former General at her back. Sephiroth froze and his heart fluttered wildly in his chest upon the direct sight just off to his left. In a kitchen chair sat Cloud in full pajama attire, though he was slumped forward in his chair. 

“He’s awake!” Claudia gasped as she rushed over to the chair and placed her hands onto its back before leaning down over her son’s shoulder. 

“Cloud, Sephiroth is here honey,” she said in a sweet maternal voice. Sephiroth hesitated but took slow steps forward. Cloud wasn’t moving. Was he really? When the silverette reached the table he crouched down and attempted to look up at the blonde’s face, and his heart froze. His eyes, they were open, but they weren’t really looking at anything in particular. Irrational fear seized his heart, prompting Sephiroth to check for a pulse. It was there, steady and strong. And then, a twitch. A twitch of his mate’s head in his direction and the silverette’s heart stuttered before he reached forward and cupped the blonde’s face and very slowly, very carefully lifted his head. It moved without resistance, almost like a doll, but those blue eyes remained open, staring. Sephiroth even wondered if the blonde had blinked. With one hand the silverette gently moved his palm and gently slide his bond’s eyes closed. And then he felt it, a tremor in his eyelids. His breath caught. Cloud was trying to open his eyes. 

“See! He wants to look!” Claudia gasped. Sephiroth’s world went dizzy for a moment and he realized after a ring birthed itself in his ears that he was holding his breath. Taking in a shaky breath, the silverette brushed his fingers through spiked blonde locks, and then, as if some sort of glue had finally broken free, those bright blue… glowing blue, mako blue, eyes snapped open.

“Oh, my baby! Good for you!” Ms. Strife praised as she pulled a rag from her back pocket and wiped some of the spittle crawling down from the side of Cloud’s mouth away. Leaving the blonde in his mother’s tender care, Sephiroth pulled out a chair and sat down adjacent to Cloud so that he could be close and watch him. His eyes felt swollen and hot. Ah, was he going to cry? Even though this was such good news? That was an illogical impulse. Sephiroth lips twitched as they curved up into a smile and he leaned close to Cloud as Ms. Strife allowed her son’s head to carefully loll forward. 

“You’re doing well, Cloud. But you don’t need to force it. If you use up all your energy before you’re ready you might set your recovery back,” Sephiroth whispered softly as he pressed his forehead to Cloud’s and took a deep inhale of his mate’s scent. It was different, it was tainted with mako, but it was still there, all the same, and it was soothing to his nerves. Claudia broke into tears, but after a few more minutes, as if heading Sephiroth’s words, the blonde’s eyes drifted closed. After that the silverette carried his mate back to bed, removed his pants, and reinserted the catheter. Even though Cloud had opened his eyes it didn’t mean he could perform basic functions by himself. Though the implications, the sheer progress those bright blue eyes showed, was astronomical. How many people who were poisoned by mako could ever do such a thing? How many never moved again? 

It was almost too much, so much so Sephiroth wondered if he’d be able to sleep at all that night. He might just stay up all night and watch him, see if he moved, see if he opened his eyes. See if he… said something. The silverette had no idea what Cloud experienced under Hojo’s thumb, what it was like to be forced into that pod, and saturated in mako. Did he fight? Was he even conscious? Did Hojo… do anything else? Sephiroth touched his abdomen as he sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at the blonde. He would never be able to have children. If just a simple injection of mako greatly increased reproductive failure, soaking in it for however long the blonde had, certainly would ruin any such chances of bearing offspring. Sephiroth stared, brows tensing in upset. Even though he really hadn’t been so sure before, Cloud had wanted children. Hojo may as well have forcefully sterilized the blonde, and the knowledge was infuriating. They couldn’t even do anything about the fraudulent grave bearing his mate’s name. If they did it could potentially attract trouble, though by this point Hojo knew Cloud had been stolen. But the least attention they drew, the better. Really, even Sephiroth’s daily labor could bring ShinRa sniffing around. But the blonde didn’t need him every moment of the day, and the silverette had never been able to sit idle.

In the end, after hours of sitting and thinking, watching, Sephiroth decided to lay down next to Cloud to ease the stiffness in his back and curled around the blonde. One hand slid beneath the blonde’s pillows while another rest over his stomach. He stared at his beautiful mate’s profile, and unable to resist, leaned forward and placed a kiss to his cheek. Cloud had gotten quite thin in the labs, and unfortunately, he hadn’t put on much weight at all while on a liquid diet. Shifting Closer, the silverette allowed his forehead to rest into Cloud’s hair and took a slow, deep inhale through the nose filled with his bond’s scent before he carefully released it.

“Cloud,” Sephiroth stated, not expecting a response though he waited as if to hear one. “There’s something I never told you. And I used the fact that you never said anything yourself as an excuse to avoid it. Which was cowardly of me,” he said, his voice a soft, low murmur. “But,” he hesitated as his heart pinched in his chest before beating rapidly in a rush of uncertainty. Ah, he wasn’t such a hesitant man before, was he? “I love you.” There was no response from Cloud, as expected, and a small, mournful smile curved the silverette’s lips before he kissed the blonde’s temple and relaxed. “Good night, Cloud.”

When Sephiroth woke up the next morning he ventured to sit Cloud up in bed and propped his head against the wall with a pillow. The blonde’s eyes were open again, and his lips were parted, still drooling, but he appeared to be attempting to move from the twitch that could he spied in his fingers every now and again. With the blanket over Cloud's lap to hide his nakedness due to the still present catheter, Sephiroth sat with a bowl of a watery fruit smoothy. He was concerned about the blonde chocking so he had added a lot of water in the hope of easing the food down his mate's throat without worry. Cloud appeared to be swallowing though which was amazing. Perhaps he’d be able to be free of having to pee in a bag soon. 

“Tifa, slow down!” Claudia’s voice called before it was followed up by the sound of feet thundering up the stairs. Sephiroth stopped and looked down the hall toward the top of the stairs when a young woman with long ebony hair came to a stop at the stairs and stared down the hall at him. Their eyes met and held one another for a long moment before slowly, the young woman walked toward him. She was beautiful, vivacious, and looked quite capable physically. She wore a white t-shirt with a brown vest over top and a pair of matching shorts. A matching hat sat upon her head, enhancing the rugged mountain girl look, but the silverette could see the slim muscle beneath creamy flesh, indicating graceful strength. It took a long moment for her eyes to finally stray from Sephiroth’s face to the bed where Cloud lay and her hands went over her mouth with a soft gasp. 

“Oh, my God,” Tifa said softly before sliding her eyes back to the silverette. 

“What happened? Wasn’t he dead?” she asked as she lowered her hands and fixed the former General with her eyes, which seemed to steel a bit upon his face, as if accusing him. 

“Not dead. Mako Poisoning,” Sephiroth said as he straightened his back and placed the bowl on the nightstand. Her eyes went to Cloud, then back to the silverette again. 

“How?” she asked, her voice more firm. 

“ShinRa,” Sephiroth stated without elaboration or any intention to. A look that was hard to decipher crossed her soft face before she walked up over to the other side of the bed and carefully leaned across it on her hands toward Cloud. She stared for a long moment, taking in the sight of the blonde’s unresponsive manner but apparent rising and falling chest.

“I’m Cloud’s childhood friend,” she stated, clearly expecting the declaration to put her in a tier above the silverette. Sephiroth said nothing. 

“And he, is Cloud’s bond,” Claudia said when she came into the room and Tifa’s head whipped to the Ms. Strife, her eyes wide and full, pink lips parted in her shock, perhaps in a silent gasp before she looked back to Sephiroth. Tifa pulled back, as it repelled. 

“H-how? Cloud’s-”

“A late bloomer,” Claudia interrupted. “Cloud has the mark and everything. You can see the scar right on his neck. And Sephiroth has been taking painstaking care of him ever since he found him and brought him home, all by himself,” Ms. Strife explained as she walked up to the girl, clearly taking a defensive position, perhaps ready to take the girl out of the room. “He also believed, that Cloud was alive,” Claudia said, and Tifa’s face pinched, stung. The girl lowered her head as her hands clasped over her hips. 

“I-I’m sorry, Claudia. I was wrong to yell at you about that. I just couldn’t believe it considering we had a body,” Tifa said, guilt riddling her voice as it quavered in her speech. She then gasped. “Who did we bury?!”

“I don’t know, but they weren’t Cloud. So, I hope you’ll know to have some trust in me in the future,” Claudia said and the girl nodded, still processing all of the information she’d just received as the elder woman grabbed her arm gently. Their eyes met and she gave a reassuring smile. 

“Now let’s leave these two alone so that Cloud can finish his breakfast,” Ms. Strife suggested and Tifa nodded before she walked with Claudia to the door, but not before pausing at the threshold, hesitating, and looking at Sephiroth. 

“I’m sorry, I was really rude just now. Please, take good care of Cloud,” she stated before stopping again. “Can I visit him?” she asked and Sephiroth smiled as he nodded. 

“Sure, I think Cloud would like the company,” the silverette said and with a small, relieved smile the girl left down the hall with Claudia. About fifteen minutes later Ms. Strife was back and leaned against the door frame as she watched Sephiroth finish carefully spoon feeding her son. 

“I knew it was going to get like that when I told her. But, she deserved to know,” Claudia stated. “Tifa and Cloud were close growing up and she took the news of his death really hard. She could barely hold herself together during the funeral. I honestly thought that they may one day marry,” she said before giving a small laugh. “I’m not sure if Cloud ever saw her that way, though. But, they were a cute couple,” Claudia explained before she gently sat on the end of the bed. “She went away training with her master a few days before you arrived, and well, news of a new resident staying in my house was bound to have her at my door. And naturally, I couldn’t keep the good news from her.” Claudia informed and Sephiroth nodded in understanding. 

“Cloud spoke of her before. She seems to care about him a great deal,” the silverette stated and Ms. Strife nodded. 

“Yes, Tifa is a very tough, but maternal figure. She’s always been that way, even as a child,” Claudia said and chuckled softly again. “Well, I hope you’re prepared for her daily interference now. She’s going to be wanting to nurse him back to health as much as we do.” With that, Ms. Strife got up and left. Sephiroth glanced at Cloud and smiled, though it took some effort to do so as he put the bowl down. 

“Looks like you’ve got people that really love you, you’re a very lucky man,” Sephiroth informed before falling into a lapse of silence as he extended his hand and pet the blonde’s hair. “Please wake up soon.”


	26. Living Doll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud's silent struggle bears budding fruit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! New chapter here and ready! Featuring the first chapter following Cloud in a while. Thank you so much everyone who has been showing this story love! I've almost reached 200 pages of this story in my doc! lol And still so much to go~ In a couple of chapters things are going to heat up again, and I'm looking forward to writing it out. ^_^
> 
> Once again, thank you so much to everyone reading, leaving kudos, and comments! I hope I handled the progression of this chapter okay. It was an interesting writing exercise.
> 
> Beware: notes at the end of chapter are spoilery! So read chapter first if you don't wanna be mildly spoiled.

It burned under his skin, moving like it was alive. And no matter what he tried, he couldn’t quite breathe right. He couldn’t feel his body, he couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear, he couldn’t even smell. It was like every sense had died other than the intimate sense of boiling pain searing him from within. The few moments he had that were any semblance of thought, were of the realization of the pain before his thoughts would rearrange into something unrecognizable and he’d simply fade away. He drifted along the currents, lost in darkness and numb until he was once again awake enough to feel the pain, and then he’d drift through weightless seas again. 

First, it was the sense of smell. Weak at first, he almost didn’t catch it while distracted by the burning. But at some point it got stronger, until he could have sworn he smelled something infinitely soothing. He didn’t know what it was. It was intimate, familiar, wrapping around him and penetrating deep, even the burn seemed to soothe as he breathed it in. 

Second, came his ears. At first so quiet he could barely hear anything. Over time that too increased, though muffled and difficult to make out. And then what he did make out didn’t make sense, as if he misheard every other word. Eventually, he could hear them, the voices of the people around him. Yes, they were people, words, words he knew. He focused on the familiar voices that filled his ears. They were grounding, an anchor that kept him from simply drifting away, and gave him something to focus on against the burning pain. With those voices, he was able to organize his thoughts and put meaning to the abstract sounds that formed the words of his thoughts. Cloud. His name was Cloud. His mom was there. Her name was Claudia. And then that deep, rolling voice of someone that made his heart thrum in his chest whenever it would start to speak. Like his ears had a special reaction to its smooth, soft baritone that tickled his insides. It excited him, it made him want to try and claw his way to the place he was supposed to be. He wasn’t sure where exactly, but he wanted to be there with that voice, wherever it was. Sephiroth. It was Sephiroth. Sephiroth was there, waiting for him. 

Third, came sensation. Other than the feeling of burn he started to notice a waking tingle all through his body. He felt like he had weight again. He was resting somewhere. On his back, he was laying down. He couldn’t move, but he could feel the warmth of the bedding, the movement of the bed when Sephiroth laid down. He could feel hands, fingers, and something probing him in uncomfortable ways, but he was able to relieve the pressure in his bladder so it was worth it in the end. The sensation of something foreign sliding into his throat was uncomfortable, but he couldn’t stop it, and so he lay still, adjusting to the sensation every time it came. Unfortunately, all his efforts to focus and claw his way to freedom, to work against the broiling burn caused it to at times flare hotter than ever before. 

He wanted to scream, to pant, it was so hot, it burned like acid all through his veins and nothing would make it better, he couldn’t even move to try and do something about it. Hotter and more fierce the flare-ups became that Cloud found his tingling muscles twitching, begging to move as some sort of pressure built up in his throat. He wanted to scream. Would he be soothed if he screamed? But he couldn’t. And then, he lurched to the side, wanting out of the heavy burden of blankets, as if somehow it would help. It didn’t, but the lurch had taken all he had, and so he remained on his side, unable to move. After a short moment, he was turned onto his back again. He lay there, burning, wishing he could cry, but instead, he remained still, and eventually, the burn died down, giving him sweet respite. 

Fourth, was his sight. Cloud simply woke up, and his eyes were open. He couldn’t see anything distinct. But he saw the light. Ah, the light filled his vision and flourished all through his mind. There were some dark shapes and brief blobs of color, but at least he could see the light. Finally, the sea of darkness was gone. The voice of his mother filled his ears, loud with excitement. Suddenly he was being pulled, pushed, turned, and moved around, arranged like a doll. He felt the cool air of the world outside his bed and then felt the bump in his body every step he was slowly, carefully carried down. He didn’t quite know where he was other than home due to the familiar smells that surrounded him and his mother’s voice. He was sat in something hard and he slumped, he couldn’t stop it though he tried. His mouth was wiped, and he wondered why. 

Cloud was almost unconscious when he smelled and then heard Sephiroth, his most precious person, in the room. His heart rate quickened in excitement, and he realized he was happy. Hands touched his face and the light was shut out again, and anger filled his heart. Even if it was his mate, he wanted that light, to think that he would willingly put him back into that dark place again. Cloud struggled, fighting against his weakness. His eyelids were so heavy now, try as he might he couldn’t quite get them to lift. And then, as if suddenly filled with a brief breath of life, he slid his eyes open and stared. The images were still just blurry blobs with splashes of color, but they were slightly more defined. Someone leaned in close, and the blonde took in the smell of his mate, and somehow, he could almost see his face, but perhaps his memory was superimposing it over his distorted vision. The low rumble of Sephiroth’s voice filled his ears and bliss fluttered his heart. Happy, Cloud relented and allowed his eyes to remain closed, and his mouth was wiped again. Oh, he was drooling, wasn’t he?

He was back in bed, tucked in with what he now understood to be a catheter inserted into his urethra. That was why his bladder always felt better. If only he could move, if only he could engage his muscles. Then he wouldn’t be wiped down in bed every day by Sephiroth, fed through a tube or have to pee in a bag. But he couldn’t. He just couldn’t no matter how hard he tried. It was so frustrating, and every time he woke up to realize he had fallen asleep, he felt only regret in his failure. He felt Sephiroth next to him again, and his voice drifted over him, soothing away his frustration as he spoke. Not all the words fully sunk in, but one word raised the alarm and the blonde struggled to process it. That word, that word, he wanted to repeat it, he could feel some impulsive twitch somewhere in his throat and a stutter in his heart. He wanted to return the sounds back, he wanted to desperately, but instead, he lay there, limp, and frustrated. 

Cloud woke up from his visit to the weightless sea that he hadn’t realized he’d left to visit when he felt a spoon to his lips. Tifa came by then, though his hazy mind had trouble fully putting things together. It did seem that she and Sephiroth might have fought? Cloud wasn’t sure. Tifa kept coming by after that, and the blonde wasn’t sure if it was all in the same day or if time was passing, though perhaps the feeling of watery mush being pushed into his mouth indicated that maybe time was passing. It all blended together to the point that it felt more like he was constantly being fed all day long. He was rarely if at all hungry, but it always came, interrupting his attempts to move his body or waking him. Instead, he had to sit there against soft pillows and deal with the sensation of something cool sliding down his throat. It was better than the tube, but still, he couldn’t quite swallow. 

Love. It was such a sweet sound. He really liked the sound and the way it made him feel. He still couldn’t get himself to repeat the sounds. It wasn’t like it was hard to make sounds, right? But he was starting to wonder if maybe he forgot how. Cloud took breaths and concentrated them in his throat, but the muscles would not do anything for him. It was either days or weeks or all in the same day, but eventually, he felt vibration in his throat. The bed jumped, jostling Cloud who forced his eyes open. He had been patient for a while, right? He could have them open again, right? The blonde’s vision was so much sharper, still blurred around the edges of shapes, but he could see everything. He could tell what things were. The sound of his name called softly, cautiously filled his ears, and then a curtain of hair filled his vision, though he didn’t have quite the definition to see that it was hair, he simply knew. A face then appeared, narrow with high cheekbones, a straight nose, and beautiful eyes framed with long, thick lashes. Green eyes, though it was hard to see the detail of them as those handsome lips moved, saying his name again. Cloud couldn’t move. And he couldn’t make his throat vibrate again. Frustrated and angry, the blonde closed his eyes, unable to face his mate when he had nothing else to offer. Next time, next time he would get it right. 

Cloud had an interesting sensation at one point of rousing. He was hard. He almost couldn’t tell, but the catheter had come out and when Sephiroth moved his blanket to check him, the brush of the comforter over his crotch had been surprising and almost too much stimulation. It seemed at least one part of his body was working, though it was humiliating when he was no better than a doll. Cloud remained still and wondered if Sephiroth would touch him. And then he hoped for it. Thinking about his mate’s hand stroking his cock only made it throb and the blonde realized he probably should focus his mind on something more productive. The blanket was put down over him and he received a kiss to his forehead. And then he was left alone, and Cloud wished he could do something about it. But he could do nothing. He could only just lay there and wait. Erections became a bit less rare, and each time Sephiroth politely made sure he was comfortable before leaving, sometimes for what felt like a long time before coming back. 

Cloud made another vibration in his throat again another night and Sephiroth was looking at him again. The blonde stared out, but he couldn’t move his eyes quite yet. His name was called so softly and his face was touched before a soft kiss met his lips. He could feel the sensation of something foreign, warm, and so very soft pressing to his lips. The smell of his mate’s breath and the feel of it on his skin was electrifying, stimulating his brain in strange ways. He made the vibrating sound again, heard it this time, and his jaw twitched, popped open slightly. And then, that was it. He ran out of energy. Frustrated, wanting to kick and scream, Cloud allowed his heavy eyelids to drop closed despite his mate’s imploring gaze.

Cloud was able to make the vibrations easier and his ears truly picked up the sounds. The sound of his voice. He could make his mouth open a little, but once he opened it he couldn’t close it. His tongue was still mostly useless, but at least he could move something. Over time he began to experience twinges in his joints, which progressed into twitches in his fingers and feet. It took a long time for anyone to notice due to his lack of energy to easily summon a twitch whenever he wanted. But when he did there was excitement to be had. It was encouraging. So Cloud decided to focus his efforts on a single action. It didn’t matter what it was, he just wanted to work at it until it worked. Twitches were not rewarding enough, it had taken too long for anyone to notice. And so he focused on his breathing and his throat. He wanted to make more vibrations, more sounds, louder. Only pitiful groans passed his lips, but they got Sephiroth’s attention. It was nice, to have his bond pet him and curl up with him when he did groan, but all the touching, petting, and soft kisses to his face were almost teasing. The more aware the blonde became of the fact that he had been still for some length of time he couldn’t quite grasp, the more he realized he needed to move. An itch that spurred a frustrated and anxious energy through his body. He wanted to eat without help; he wanted to use the bathroom again, to walk, to run. He wanted to talk, he wanted to feel happy enough to laugh, he wanted to make love. 

Cloud fought through the flare-ups of burning pain and concentrated on trying to make his groans last longer. Unfortunately, sometimes everyone assumed he was in pain, which was true, but it hadn’t been the response he had been looking for. It felt like he’d been burning up inside off and on forever and was getting used to it for the most part. Cloud was upright again, being spoon-fed something sweet, fruit probably, and a new sensation struck him, lancing all through his belly and up to his mouth as it watered heavily. Nausea rolled all through him suddenly and he lurched, whatever energy his body had stored lunging him over to the side as vomit expelled from his mouth and all over Sephiroth’s lap. The silverette went into immediate action, dropping the bowl of food, removing the blonde’s catheter, and carrying him to the bathroom. Cloud was stripped of his clothes and rest carefully on the toilet, leaned back, as the shower was turned on. 

“What happened-oh, my,” His mom said, redirecting her reaction as she walked away.

“Cloud threw up,” Sephiroth informed. 

“I’ll clean up his room. Is he… okay?” she asked in trepidation. Cloud stared, only just able to see Sephiroth out the side of his tilted vision and his mother on the other side. He wished he wasn’t naked.

“I don’t know. It’s possible the nerves in his stomach are starting to become more active. I’ve heard of those with milder mako poisoning experiencing severe purging,” Sephiroth explained and Cloud moaned as if another roll of nausea was summoned by the silverette’s words. 

“Oh, no. He’s already so skinny!” his mom gasped. 

“We should order nutrient, calorie-heavy foods. There are specialty drinks that can be used to help people in similar situations,” Sephiroth informed. 

“Okay, I’ll go to the town computer and look online, after I clean up,” Claudia said. “And I’ll bring a bucket for Cloud!” After a few minutes Cloud was lifted and to his surprise, Sephiroth sat down in the tub and the blonde got to rest against his shoulder in his lap. He stared off to a spot on the floor, unable to move his eyes to look anywhere else, however, hands came up to his face and his eyes were slid closed, much to Cloud’s frustration. 

“We need to avoid drying your eyes out. The General Store is out of eye drops for the next week,” Sephiroth whispered. At that mention, Cloud felt his mate shift. 

“Perhaps you can order some eye drops too,” Sephiroth called, and Ms. Strife responded in the affirmative as she vacuumed over what had probably already been wiped up from what little rug extended past the edge of Cloud’s bed. After that the blonde was washed with soap, his hair too. The hot steam seemed to perhaps settle his stomach some, but as soon he was lifted and moving again, Cloud felt his stomach roll and groaned. 

“I know, unfortunately, it would be too difficult to give you medicine for upset stomach right now. Perhaps some ice water,” Sephiroth said softly as he placed Cloud back into the softness of his bed, upright. “You’ll have to sleep on your side for a while. Hopefully, this passes quickly.” 

It didn’t pass quickly. And due to how little energy the blonde possessed, his vomits robbed him of any energy he had, even when all he had to do was just lay there with his face against the edge of the bed at night. But the violent tension and jerking of his muscles always robbed him. Sephiroth didn’t really sleep either. He was always wiping his mouth and trying to clean any vomit that got on the sheets before changing them every morning. The new food he got, presumably the drinks he had heard about tasted strange, almost flavorless, watery, and felt almost oily too. It was humiliating, after a day on the drinks Cloud had an accident in bed when his bowels voided themselves, and he wasn’t sure which did it, the mako poisoning or the drinks. It was so humiliating he wanted to crawl into a hole and die. But instead, he was moved around and cleaned up after. And Sephiroth did so without ever missing a beat, saying soothing, whispering words to Cloud as he cleaned up after him. A bedpan came into use after that and the blonde wished for the briefest of moments that he had never started to become aware. 

His head felt lighter. And Cloud realized one morning that he could move it slightly. It wasn’t much, but it felt like the muscles in his neck were working. And when he was taken to be washed, he had actually been able to keep his head somewhat upright, though it was with struggle, but after a few minutes he’d lost all his energy and his head lolled. And even more frustrating, Sephiroth didn’t notice because his back had been turned. Cloud had tried to lift it again when Sephiroth turned back around, but that was harder than maintaining an upright position and gave up. He was too tired. When Cloud was able to sit upright against a pillow, it was easier to roll his head around and look at his room. Sephiroth was using his closet for his clothes it seemed with his open suitcase on the dresser as a dirty clothes hamper. 

Briefly, Cloud wondered how he ended up home, how everything had come together like it was. But, redirected himself back to focus. He resumed his attention to his voice. It was almost easy to groan now, he just needed to make his tongue work, but that was dead in the water no matter what he tried. He could open his mouth more, but he still couldn’t close it, which left Cloud drooling until someone wiped it and closed his mouth. He drooled anyway, but it was in greater amounts, and it dried his mouth out if it was left open. And then the blonde realized, maybe he just needed to sleep. Maybe he should simply close his eyes, return to the weightless sea and store up his energy. Everyone kept telling him to rest, but he really hadn’t. Maybe… maybe he really should. It was with reluctance that he let his eyes slide closed and tried to relax, and within seconds he was rolled over vomiting. The sound drew his mom into his room then and he was being wiped down. 

Cloud wasn’t sure how long it had been, but when he opened his eyes he found Sephiroth bent over him, staring into his face. Their eyes locked and the silverette was taken aback before his hands moved forward and cupped the blonde’s face. He could feel the texture of his mate’s palms, even the callouses, and his lips parted in a breath. Taking in a breath, he focused on pushing it up through his throat and engaging his vocal cords. His tongue twitched in his mouth, and the sound altered as it passed his lips as his jaw twitched open and then closed.

“Sseephh-” he couldn’t move his tongue enough to produce anything else and Sephiroth froze. Their eyes held one another for a long moment. Cloud’s finger twitched, and then his elbow. His arm shook, it was so hard to move it, like it was the heaviest thing in the world. The silverette leaned into his face and Cloud felt his heart jump in his chest, the smell of his mate saturating his nose in a potent wave. Sephiroth’s eyes closed and he leaned forward, head angling to the side before the blonde’s lips were kissed. And Cloud’s stomach jumped, prompting him to roll over, alerting his mate to step back as he vomited into the bucket again. Sephiroth set about wiping his face down and offering water, and to the blonde’s surprise, he was able to swallow it down, though the first bob of his Adam’s apple had hurt. 

It was like he was suddenly free of some heavy weight that had been pressing him down, arresting him to his bed. He could move his hands a small amount, though his bone-thin arms were too heavy to move. He could move his feet too, though for some reason it was difficult to move his toes well. Cloud finally didn’t have to wear a catheter anymore and got to be carried to the bathroom when he was able to move enough to at least wipe his butt and flush. His voice worked better too. He could talk, though it was badly pronounced and frequently winded him, so the blonde only said what he needed to. Which wasn’t much at all since his every need was tended to either by his mom or his bond. So many questions, so many things he wanted to say, but it was just too taxing. Sometimes even holding his head up was too hard, which was confusing. Cloud slept on his side again, ready to puke into the bucket when he needed to, with was rather common in the mornings and afternoons. Sephiroth slept against his back, curled around him every night. Words of comfort constantly met his ears, encouragement, and praise for every little thing he managed to do. But not much else was said to him, other than to rest and not rush of course.

“Sleep well, love,” Sephiroth whispered and Cloud felt his heart jump in his chest when his mate nuzzled the back of his head and settled behind him. Every movement the blonde committed to was with a great deal of shaking, no matter what it seemed to be, but when Sephiroth’s hand slid down over his belly, the blonde lifted his hand and rest it over his bond’s. Cloud was all too aware of the swelling of his cock, almost like hearing that word excited him, as his heart pounded and his eyes grew warm. Certain sounds were still hard to make, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to botch up saying something so important. But maybe there was one thing he could say, or show, without fucking it up. It was hard to pull on Sephiroth’s hand, his muscles didn’t seem to have the strength necessary, but the silverette noticed his initial pull and looked down at him curiously, the blonde could tell by the feel of breath down on his ear. Sephiroth allowed his hand to be moved, or more accurately, moved his hand with Cloud’s until the blonde was able to press it to the bulge in his shorts, face flushing in uncertainty. If Sephiroth could even get in the mood after everything he’d had to deal with, but the blonde couldn’t help remembering his frustration at wanting to be touched before, but unable to do anything about it at all. At least now, he could do something. The silverette’s breath quickened against his ear and the blonde felt his mate move as the hand he had put over his crotch settled, fingers pressing around the throbbing bulge, mapping out its shape curving against his hip, and Cloud’s feet twitched with wanting to grind his hips forward as a warm wetness began to seep out of his ass. He could smell it too, the arousal building up in his mate.

“Are you sure, Cloud?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde felt his frustration rise, so much so his hand over his mate’s started to shake harder. He didn’t want to be ignored again, dammit. Though he understood, reluctantly, why the silverette had not done anything before. He didn’t know Cloud had wanted it. Maybe the silverette noticed the tension in the blonde’s shoulders because he moved his hand from his mate’s and slid it into his shorts and boxers. A sigh of relief passed Cloud’s lips when his leaking cock was taken into a firm hold. Sephiroth slid down the bed a few inches and kissed the blonde’s ear before massaging his fingers into the half-mast organ until it was long and hard. A shudder of pleasure spread through Cloud as his mate collected the pre-cum leaking from the top of his cock and used it to help slide his hand up and down. Small at first the movements were, collecting the slickness building up from the head until the silverette was able to give one long, satisfying stroke and a moan oozed from Cloud’s mouth. Sephiroth pressed closer to his mate, and the blonde felt and smelled the rapid growth of his mate’s arousal. 

“Cloud,” Sephiroth whispered in a breathy voice and another groan passed from the blonde as his mate’s wrist set into motion, pumping his cock faster, more confident. The silverette ground his hard dick against Cloud’s ass and the blonde felt a sharp spike of pleasure, his neck twitched, his arms twitched, everything twitched. He wanted to move so bad, to roll over and tell Sephiroth to take him. 

“Sephhh,” Cloud panted out the silverette’s nickname which had been adopted due to his speech troubles. Sephiroth’s hand suddenly stopped when the smell of the silverette’s arousal spiked, enveloping the blonde. Cloud moaned in dissatisfaction when the hand slid out of his pants and went to the band of his shorts. The disappointment was immediately replaced with excitement as the shorts were slid down his thighs and the wet head of a thick cock smeared across the back of one Cloud’s thighs before sliding in between them. Arousal shocked through the blonde, pulsing in his cock and making him more wet between the globes of his ass. Sephiroth’s hand returned to his mate’s cock and gave a greedy pull and Cloud moaned as his mate’s hips drew back before sliding forward, and the blonde shuddered in pleasure. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but it was better than nothing. The silverette stilled a second before his free arm slid forward under Cloud’s neck, probably for balance as the man sat up over him and resumed stroking and thrusting in between his bond’s legs. 

Cloud’s moans were broken and desperate, but inherently honest in their want as he gave his voice its first real work out even as it crackled out into silence at times. Sephiroth’s harsh breaths filled with low, urgent groans filled the room too as his hips rocked Cloud on his side and into his moving fist. He was so close, the pulsing and boiling heat through his body drew out louder moans, so close, he was going to cum, and with a particularly good stroke down his cock orgasm tore through Cloud as cum spilled from his throbbing dick and over the silverette’s hand. The blonde shuddered as every muscle tightened as a gush of slick wetness covered the area between his legs and Sephiroth's cock suddenly thrust harder, faster. The silverette paused, but only for a frantic second as a hand slid free from under Cloud’s neck and under him to grip the blonde’s hip while the silverette’s sticky right grabbed his upward-facing side. Sephiroth’s thrusts were hard, desperate, as hisses mixed in with his moans, overtaken by a rabid lust that Cloud found himself passionately loving. To be wanted that badly was amazing. 

Suddenly the silverette slammed his hips forward against the blonde and stiffened as some small offshoot splatters met the front of Cloud’s thighs while the rest of the ejection hit the sheets and blanket in front of him. After a second Sephiroth’s body relaxed onto the mattress before arms encircled the blonde as his face was gently turned so that their lips could touch. Sephiroth kissed Cloud’s trembling lips repeatedly, lovingly, seeming without any intention of stopping. But as the blonde calmed down from the high of his orgasm high his stomach decided to take that time to make its displeasure of being rocked around known. Cloud tore his face away, lurched his face over the side of the bed and vomited once, and then twice. Sephiroth remained still behind him until it became apparent during all of Cloud’s heaving that his stomach was satisfied, and moved. Cloud had his face cleaned again and the bucket taken away. Sephiroth appeared to cautiously peer out the bedroom door, probably wanting to make sure Claudia didn’t see him with his dick hanging out of his briefs, and hurried to the bathroom. A couple of minutes later he returned with a washed out bucket and his prick tucked in. He then pulled on his pants, left the room again, and returned with a glass of ice water. 

“We might be able to actually give you some medicine for your stomach now,” Sephiroth informed in a soft, quiet voice as he stroked his fingers through Cloud’s sweat drying hair. The blonde managed to lift his head and their eyes met. Then he shook his head the silverette gave him a confused look. It would be too hard to say all the sounds to make the words; Cloud just didn’t have the energy, especially after what they just did, he could barely keep his eyes open. Perhaps understanding the blonde’s drooping eyelids, Sephiroth smiled, touched his mate’s face, and then offered out the straw to the glass of ice water. “At least drink some of this,” he said. And Cloud did. The icy water felt good in his stomach, cooling it down and seeming to settle it as it frequently did. After a few seconds, he let the straw go and closed his eyes. A few minutes later, the bed shook as the silverette got in behind the blonde. His body pressed to Cloud’s back as one hand slid beneath his pillow and the other came to rest over his stomach. After another second, Sephiroth settled and the two went still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...tropes! Cuz I mean... what am I gonna write when Cloud is a vegetable and Sephiroth is an introvert? lol
> 
> Exactly how long Cloud was a vegetable will be revealed soon, since his concept of time is screwed up and I was trying to convey that in this chapter.


	27. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud makes leaps and bounds in his recovery, but his mind only continues to be troubled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Firstly, thank you so much to everyone who has been leaving comments and kudos! They are so encouraging! And thank you to everyone who keeps coming back to read! This chapter was originally two, but I thought they were too short separately, so I combined them. lol So an extra-long chapter for everyone~
> 
> I hope everyone that reads enjoys!

Cloud woke warm and comfortable. Sephiroth’s scent pressed in around him, bringing with it an inherent calm that soothed any uneasiness he might have thought he felt when he was in the process of waking. He laid on his side, staring across the space to his old desk. He used to sit at it all the time, doing homework and looking over motorcycle magazines and anything related to SOLDIER, or more specifically, looking anything with Sephiroth. His heart fluttered and he felt his face warm a little. He could feel the deep steady breaths of none other than Sephiroth against his hair. The warmth that was saturating him was Sephiroth’s too. His body was wrapped around him, one leg drawn in between his own, a hand under his pillow and stretched out to the end of the bed, while the other was hooked over the blonde’s side. 

As soon as a smile started to tug his lips a sudden and intense wave of nausea lanced his stomach and Cloud lurched over the side of the bed, his body violently expelling stomach acid and spittle from his lips. His mate jerked awake, body retracting from the blonde as he carefully, slowly, sat up and a hand began to rub circles into Cloud’s back. 

“Cloud?” When the dry heaving finally ended, the blonde collapsed onto his side with a miserable groan. The silverette’s hand moved to Cloud’s head and began to stroke through his hair. It didn’t take long for the blonde drift off to sleep again, and when he woke, it was to the sound of boots walking through the room. With struggle the blonde was able to move head enough to see his mate walking through the room, dressed in his new typical button-down white shirt and tight-fitting jeans. He practically glowed from head to toe now. Sephiroth noticed his gaze, looked at him in surprise, and after a second, smiled as he walked over to the bed and pulled the chair closer to the side of the bed. 

“I’m glad to see you awake. Good morning, Cloud,” the silverette greeted. Cloud went limp and stared, too tired to try to say anything or move. His mate’s hand moved then and started stroking his scalp again, and the blonde smiled a little as his eyes drifted down to a spot on the floor by his desk. Sephiroth drew in a breath and released a quiet sigh, a smile still on his lips.

“I think it’s time we might start stretching your legs, to prepare you for some physical therapy,” Sephiroth informed. Cloud raised his eyes again to the silverette’s face. 

“Yeah,” the blonde croaked out before opting instead for a nod. 

“Good, perhaps we’ll start this afternoon. Would you like me or your mom to do it?” the silverette asked and Cloud felt his cheeks burn a bit at the thought of his mom doing it. Though he had no idea what truly was done to do those ‘stretches’; if they were anything like what he saw in media, he didn’t want his mom doing that. 

“Y-you,” he said, his voice slightly less gravely. Sephiroth gave a solitary nod then and retracted his hand. 

“All right then, I will do it after I get back. We’ve upgraded you to a new nutritional drink to help you put on weight, they’ll be better tasting too. But, I’m going to have to ride out for a while to retrieve them,” Sephiroth explained as he stood up and pushed the chair away from the bed, out of the danger zone of the blonde’s volatile stomach. Cloud’s brow tensed in uncertainty, though he wasn’t entirely sure why the silverette leaving made him so anxious. 

“Come back,” Cloud’s voice crackled and Sephiroth paused for a moment before he crouched down and placed a kiss to his mate’s forehead. 

“Nothing will keep me from coming back, not even death,” the silverette said, lingering a moment before he stood up, grabbed a coat from off the door handle that Cloud had recognized from somewhere in his childhood, and left out the open doorway. 

“Stay safe on the road,” Claudia’s voice echoed faintly from downstairs after the silverette had descended them. Cloud stared down the hallway, already feeling more sick to his stomach and unhappy. But he was being selfish. It was almost fifteen minutes of staring before the blonde heard the sound of someone coming up the stairs to see his mom arrive and then turn toward him. She smiled, a glass of water in one hand and a bottle of something in the other. 

“Hey, honey. I’m so happy you’re up. Sephiroth said you can have something for your stomach now,” Claudia said when she came into the room, pulled the chair forward, and sat down. 

“He- no?” Cloud garbled and Ms. Strife paused and quirked a brow at him. 

“Sephiroth said he talked with you about it. You don’t remember?” she asked. Cloud’s brow creased and he shook his head. After a beat, Claudia smiled and twisted the cap open. 

“Well, that’s all right. You’re concentrating hard on getting better,” Ms. Strife said as she poured some thick liquid into the cap and set it on the nightstand before she stood and helped Cloud to sit up against his pillows. 

“Now, be careful. It’s thicker than what you’ve been having, so make sure not to breathe and swallow good, okay?” Claudia said and Cloud would have retorted if speech were easier to command. Instead, he remained silent as his mom pressed the cap his lips with her hand behind his head and as she poured slowly, tipped his head back slightly to aid in swallowing, moving his head forward at the right timing to make sure the thick, nasty tasting liquid didn’t hit the back of his throat. The blonde’s stomach roared with disgust and rolled, twisting with weird, sudden sharp pains that contorted his face. Ms. Strife gasped and hurried to the glass of water and pressed the straw between Cloud’s twisted lips. 

“Hurry up and drink, honey!” Cloud sucked the icy water up through the straw, struggling as his stomach lurched and his mouth grew hot and watery. With a distressed moan the blonde squeezed his eyes shut, leaned back, and turned his face away, not wanting anything else. Claudia’s hand rubbed through her son’s hair, worried. After a prolonged moment, Cloud was able to relax and sagged a bit against his pillows when the turbulent sensation was gone. 

“Feel better?” she asked softly and the blonde gave a slight nod. “Okay then, you rest up, okay?” Cloud drifted to sleep after that. When next he woke, it was to the sound of Sephiroth’s voice rumbling softly through the air. 

“He was tired, that’s probably why,” his mate said. 

“It’s just… I read online that sometimes people have problems with their memory,” Cloud roused a little more upon hearing the concern in his mother’s voice and cracked his blurry eyes open. Sephiroth and Claudia were in the hallway, talking quietly to each other. 

“It does happen. But Cloud forgetting something so trivial when he was exhausted I don’t think is cause for alarm. He was passing out when I mentioned it, I’m sure he’s fine,” Sephiroth assuaged. Flattening his palms to the bed, Cloud struggled, wobbled up into a seating position, his arms shaking incredibly under the strain until he was able to lean against the wall behind his bed, which drew both sets of eyes to him. 

“Cloud, honey!” Ms. Strife called as she walked into the room up to her son. Cloud’s eyes followed his mom for a moment before looking to Sephiroth who had hung back a moment before joining the room also. 

“How are you feeling? Is your tummy okay?” she asked, the stroke of her hand finally pulling Cloud’s eyes to her face. Slowly he gave a nod.

“Okay, baby. I’ll leave you two alone then and start dinner,” she said as she gave her son’s head one more pat before leaving. Sephiroth then walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down, smiling. 

“I came back,” the silverette said and Cloud nodded. Sephiroth then leaned toward the blonde, arms sliding forward and though he tried, Cloud didn’t quite have the strength to pull his torso forward, and so lifted his weak arms what he could so that his mate could pull him into a hug. Once the blonde was pressed into his mate’s body they remained still for a moment, and Cloud groaned softly in the pleasure of the smell of his bond smothering him all over. When the moment passed, the silverette eased his mate onto his back and their eyes locked. 

“Ready for me to start stretching you?” Sephiroth asked and Cloud debated for a moment, wondering if he felt ready for it anymore. But, resigned himself with a nod. If he wanted to get better faster, to walk, he needed to do it. After Sephiroth got himself comfortable in a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt he took up his spot on the end of the bed and started with Cloud’s feet. He moved the bones around softly with the pads of his thumbs and fingers, massaging them until he moved to the blonde’s ankles. After that, he moved up to Cloud’s knees and that was where the real stretch was felt. It was painful and the blonde found to his astonishment that he really couldn’t straighten his knee out when his leg was lifted into the air. And moving his thigh up was met with some uncomfortable resistance in his glutes and inner thigh.

“Because you haven’t actually moved or used anything for going on a year and a half your muscles have atrophied. I’m sure your body has been eating through your muscle as well, which is why you’re skin and bones now,” Sephiroth explained as he slide forward and moved Cloud carefully, maneuvering him to perform more twists and stretches to the rest of his body, even his neck. It was only after Sephiroth carefully moved his head that Cloud even realized how little he had been able to move it. His little nods or shakes had been more like twitches. After that, the silverette tested the blonde’s motor functions and strength. Cloud could barely raise his arm more than a few inches, and it shook hard in his efforts to lift and keep it aloft. His legs were still pretty much dead in the water, though apparently what thigh muscle he did have tensed when he tried to lift his leg. Cloud also got to test sitting upright by himself just using his abdominal muscles, but that was a complete failure, which the blonde already knew since he hadn’t been able to meet his mate for a simple act of hugging. 

“I think we’ll do this every other day, and I will push you, mind you, so you will need to tell me if you ever feel any pain anywhere, at any time, understand?” the silverette asked and his mate nodded, bringing a smile to the man’s lips. “Good.” When Sephiroth was officially finished, dinner was ready and Cloud got to have his first taste of real food. It was only potato soup, but it was delicious and made the blonde feel properly alive. However, as soon as he was done with that he was offered a straw with his new drink. It had flavor, but it was a bad, very fake strawberry one. He drank it dutifully until his stomach clenched and threatened to toss it all up. So in the end, he finished it a couple hours later before bed. 

The ‘shakes’ became a breakfast food for Cloud. After that, it was watered down potato soup and fruity, also watered down, smoothies. His food thickened up though as his ability to swallow improved. He even got to have some very small bits of meat, and never did Cloud realize how exhausting it was to chew until then. But that too improved over time. Every other day Sephiroth would stretch Cloud and work on his range of motion before testing Cloud’s strength. In the end, however, the silverette put off the strength training when the stretches themselves proved to cause the blonde more pain than he had anticipated. It felt like the flexibility stretches were as hard as workouts from how sore Cloud got. 

It got easier to speak too, especially when he started to consume other types of foods for some reason. Maybe he was just gaining more energy. Unfortunately, his vomiting did not stop, though it became more of a just in the morning routine, usually right after waking up and after smelling food. But, at least the stomach medicine was helping. Nights were just for sleep for the time being it seemed. After all the hard work stretching his muscles Cloud was usually too sore and worn out to try and ask for sex again and Sephiroth never offered, instead, the blonde just rolled over and went to sleep, and not long later his mate would curl around him. 

Eventually, Cloud started up his very basic strength training again. Which included trying to sit up without the help of his hands, since the blonde had proven he could do that. It was hard. Though when he started from an upright position he did manage to hold himself up for a few minutes before his muscles began to feel tired, and then burn, resulting in him slumping back against his pillows. Going to the bathroom got easier though. He no longer had to rely on the counter or leaning on his legs to remain upright on the toilet and go, he could semi-keep himself straight and do everything entirely on his own. 

Which then prompted Sephiroth to start trying to walk him. Cloud would be carried downstairs, and due to her height, he got to use his mother’s shoulders as a crutch while he practiced walking with his mate behind him. The first attempt had been nothing but a crash and burn when Cloud barely could lift his legs, and so that was his task for the next week. After that, he tripped himself and kneed his mom in the back of the leg, but he was caught by Sephiroth before he hit the floor. 

Slowly Cloud was walking to the bathroom, very slow, hobbled almost, with the walls and counters used as a crutch. He even got the thrill of taking a bath without help when Sephiroth had been out in town and his mom had been downstairs. Food was amazing again, and though he was still drinking those nasty shakes, his stomach only rarely made him nauseous. In fact, Cloud had been able to battle off some stomach upheaval, which was quite a victory in his mind. Sephiroth and his mom constantly praised Cloud, which was embarrassing. But, it was heartening to hear their encouragement and praise, pushing him to try harder. Talking was much easier, though he still sometimes stumbled or for some reason seemed to mix up his words, but it didn’t happen very often. 

Sitting in the bottom of the shower with the water hitting him and slowly filling the plugged tub, Cloud heaved a pleased sigh. He was sore, but it was a soreness he welcomed happily. Lifting his arm it only shook slightly, which was good, but a frown dipped his pink lips when the glaring sight of a slender arm absent of the swell of muscles he had worked so hard to make greeted him, even his forearm looked thinner. It made him feel like a kid, though the largeness of his bones negated the feeling some. His legs were the weirdest part to look at. So thin they didn’t look like they belonged on him from how the blonde remembered the muscle he had built up over a lifetime used to be. It was all gone. His abdominal muscles were still somewhat present, surprisingly, but even they too seemed to have softened. Maybe his body had saved that area of muscle for last in its eating frenzy to stay alive, thus preserving some of it. 

Cloud touched his abdomen and his brow tensed in concern. Anxiety trembled his heart. He had become aware of it some time ago, though he couldn’t quite recall exactly when it was. But the blonde was very aware that it had certainly been long enough for him to go into heat. How long had it been since he’d been kidnapped? The whole day that he was taken was a blur, Cloud couldn’t remember any of it, at all. In fact, the last thing the blonde could remember was… yeah, the guy at the door. Sephiroth’s door. Their door. What became of that? Was that before or after Zack took him to train with swords? Something scratched at the back of his mind, almost on the precipice of being remembered and Cloud frowned, brows tensing further. How long had it been? He was pretty sure he knew, right? 

The blonde rubbed his belly and his heart twisted. Why hadn’t he gone into heat? He knew he’d been submerged in mako. Did it… did it really fuck him up? To the point he wasn’t having heats anymore? Cloud’s heart stuttered as horror filled his stomach. Right, mako was bad for omegas, right? Though for the life of him the blonde wasn’t exactly sure where he had heard that. Sephiroth told him, right? Sephiroth had been telling him a lot about omegas because he had never learned. Cloud found his heart racing fast and hard in his chest, almost painfully as his world suddenly felt unsteady and he gasped in a breath. Using his arms to sit up more Cloud doubled over and hugged his knees to his chest, finding himself needing to take in deep breaths, trying to calm his heart down, but it only raced faster. Heat suddenly burned throughout his body, searing beneath his skin and through his veins. The world was spinning, suffocating. Cloud’s jaw cracked open with a shriek. 

Thundering filled the room before Cloud was pulled, sobbing and shaking uncontrollably out of the bathtub. Every muscle spasmed and twisted as the scorching, acidic pain traveled through every nerve in his body. He collapsed into something, someone, soaking wet from the tub before he was grabbed and cradled. The pain finally began to bleed away from him and so Cloud sobbed, more in relief and confusion as a hand began to pet through his wet hair. 

“Shhhh, it’s okay, baby,” the scent and soothing sound of his mother’s voice penetrated into some primal part of Cloud’s brain and he sagged, crying softly, spent. Once the blonde was able to regain control of his emotions he staggered up, body shaking hard as he took the towel offered to him. While Claudia turned the shower off and pulled the plug, Cloud’s shaking hands tucked the towel around his waist and sat down on top of the toilet. 

“Baby, what happened?” Ms. Strife asked. The blonde leaned down on his thighs and hung head.

“I don’t know. It just… suddenly felt like I was melting inside,” Cloud stated softly. The sound of feet coming up the stairs quickly caught the ears of both occupants in the bathroom before Claudia hung out from the doorway.

“Hello, what brought you home?” she asked. 

“I just wanted to check on Cloud,” Sephiroth said. 

“What timing, something actually just happened,” Claudia said, her tone slightly suspicious before she walked back over to stand in front of Cloud, the silverette following into the small room. The blonde looked up at Sephiroth and their eyes met, which immediately prompted the silverette to kneel down and looked closely at Cloud’s wan face and puffy, red eyes. 

“What happened?” his mate asked. 

“I… I don’t know. Just suddenly it burned all over,” Cloud answered, voice weak. Sephiroth gave a slow nod. “You know what it is?” the blonde asked. 

“Unfortunately, for some people, those who do not take to it well, mako can cause burning pain in the body,” Sephiroth answered as he stood up. 

“Oh, Gaia!” Claudia gasped. 

“It can disappear over time, though some have said it only dulls,” the silverette said before pausing and looking at Ms. Strife. 

“We should keep an eye on it,” Sephiroth informed before he looked down at Cloud who reluctantly raised his head again. 

“How many times have you felt it? The pain?” the silverette asked. The blonde’s brows furrowed. 

“Uh, this was the first time, I think,” he said. 

“You think, honey?” Claudia asked. Cloud hung his head again and raised his quivering hands, still weak, to his head and put them in his drying, spiking hair. 

“I-I don’t know. I’m tired,” Cloud sighed. 

“O-okay, dear,” Claudia said. 

“Can I get dressed now?” the blonde asked.

“Yes, you can. Perhaps you should lie down and rest,” Sephiroth suggested and Cloud gave a slight nod. After that, the blonde was left alone with the bathroom with the door closed. He sat for a few long moments, not really trying to think and not exactly wanting to. But, after a short bit he stood and dressed before carefully making his way back to his bedroom. No one was in the hall, and Cloud could hear his mom down it the kitchen it sounded like. But then he felt more than anything else, something in his room. Instinctively he just knew who it was, and he smelled his strong before he reached his open door. Sephiroth looked up from the book he was reading. He was laying down on his side of the bed, shoulders propped up against the wall, long legs stretched out with his socks and shoes off. Cloud paused in the doorway.

“I thought you were just checking in on me,” the blonde muttered. Sephiroth closed his book and set it on the bedside table by him. 

“I decided to stay home. I already called the man I was helping,” the silverette explained and Cloud gave a slow nod before he walked unsteady to the bed and sat down heavily on it. 

“How are you feeling now?” Sephiroth asked. 

“Tired,” Cloud answered. 

“Want to lay with me?” the silverette asked. The blonde barely debated before he crawled over the bed to Sephiroth and let his head collapse onto the man’s stomach. A hand settled onto Cloud’s back and began to rub in circles. It was silent for a few minutes, and then his mate grabbed his book with his free hand before expertly pushing his bookmark out with his thumb and reading again. It was silent for a few minutes more. Cloud bit his lower lip. His heart twisted in his chest again as warm pressure built up in his eyes. He was afraid to say it, but he needed to. They both knew it, there as no way around it. It needed to be talked about.

“I haven’t gone into heat,” Cloud stated. The book lowered again when the hand stilled before it resumed its slow circles. 

“I know,” was Sephiroth’s simple answer. Pressure built up in the blonde’s chest then. 

“That’s what I was thinking about, when the pain hit,” Cloud said, voice crackling a little. It was quiet a moment. 

“I’m sorry,” Sephiroth said, tension edging his voice. “I, I don’t know what to say.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Cloud asked. 

“Fertility treatments maybe,” Sephiroth answered, but his voice didn’t really show much confidence in the answer. Cloud accidentally sniffled. 

“I don’t get it. All that stuff with Omega Square. I thought I was wanted because I was a late bloomer. Why would they destroy it all?” Cloud asked, his voice rising in pitch with his growing upset. 

“I,” Sephiroth paused, “I don’t know,” he finally said. “Hojo, Hojo isn’t stupid or terribly reckless, even if he is a hack scientist. I can only imagine he was attempting to do something else with you. Maybe it failed,” Sephiroth said and frustration ignited into red hot anger as every muscle in Cloud’s body tightened. 

“I hate that fucker. I hate him, I hate him so much,” the blonde said, his voice shaking. The hand rubbing his back paused, pulled away, and then settled into his hair.

“I don’t blame you,” Sephiroth said, a slight hitch to his breath. “I hate him too.” It went silent for a moment as Cloud took to worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. There was something else he needed to talk about. A lot of things, actually, but the blonde wanted to choose carefully for the current moment.

“Why don’t you have sex with me? Is it because, I smell different?” Cloud asked, voice tightening. The book was dropped and a finger touched the bottom of the blonde’s chin. Cloud lifted his head under the direction, using what strength he had in his arms to lift and twist to look at his mate. “I’m worthless as an omega,” the blonde added, hot water seeping to the corners of his eyes when their eyes locked. Sephiroth twisted toward Cloud and pressed his forehead down against his own as his two hands cupped the blonde’s face. 

“No, you’re not,” Sephiroth stated in a firm voice. Cloud frowned, not convinced at all as frustration reared up stronger. 

“Then, why don’t you touch me anymore? You used to touch me all the time, we had sex all the time,” the blonde said, voice quavering as he sniffed through a suddenly stuffy nose. Sephiroth closed his eyes, took in a deep breath through the nose, taking in Cloud’s scent before releasing it. “I know you smell it when I’m in the mood, but you ignore me now,” the blonde added.

“Cloud,” Sephiroth said as his eyes slid open and the slits of his eyes zeroed in on Cloud’s own glowing blue. “Last time I engaged you, you vomited violently. And then you slept two days,” the silverette said and the blonde jerked slightly, confusion twisting his brow. 

“What? No,” Cloud muttered and Sephiroth nodded his head, rubbing their foreheads together. 

“You did. It, it scared the hell out of me,” the silverette said. “You did not respond to any stimuli test I performed. So, I decided I would wait. I’m not going to touch you until you are recovered,” Sephiroth explained and Cloud wanted to open his mouth to argue, to tell his mate he was wrong, but stopped. What did he know? All he did back then was sleep and lay around in bed. Maybe he really did. He didn’t think he had. When Cloud woke up, he thought it was the next morning, and since he still barely knew what day it was, or the date, of course he wouldn’t realize it. The blonde frowned, the shaking in his arms intensifying to the point that he was going to drop. Appearing to realize the situation, Sephiroth moved his hands, slid his arms under Cloud’s armpits, and pulled him. The blonde helped with his legs, moving until he was laying down next to Sephiroth, head propped up on his shoulder. Relieved that the burden was off his arms, and for a break in the tension, Cloud took in a deep breath and blinked back the water in his cooling eyes. 

“So, you still find me attractive?” Cloud asked as Sephiroth’s arm wound around his shoulders. 

“There is no one more attractive than you. If I could, I would make love to you right now. But as you can see, you can barely keep yourself upright for more than a couple minutes,” Sephiroth said. Shame worked through the blonde as he nodded, biting back new tears of frustration, but for a different reason.

“I’m sorry. I just said a bunch of terrible things to you,” Cloud said, voice tense.

“It’s all right. I forgive you. You’re going through a lot right now. And since we hadn’t talked about it, it is natural to wonder why I haven’t tried to make a move on you,” the silverette explained. Taking in a slow, deep breath Cloud released it with another nod and relaxed against his mate. A kiss came to his forehead before Sephiroth’s head rest on top of Cloud’s, long streams of silver hair falling around the blonde’s face. The silverette’s other hand then slid over to Cloud’s in between their bodies and interlocked their fingers. A warm, groggy sensation started to creep over the blonde as he sat there, muscles going lax, eyelids growing heavy. Initially he tried to keep his eyes open, but he couldn’t fight the drooping and ultimately, decided to relax and doze a little.

When Cloud woke it was on Sephiroth’s side of the bed. Apparently, he had been tucked in on that side after falling asleep. Blinking away the residual traces of sleep, Cloud used his arms to sit up and looked around the bedroom, but he was alone. 

“Mom?” Cloud called as he looked out his window. The sun was really dim as it filtered in through the edges of the curtains. A minute later he heard his mom come up the stairs, down the hall, and into the room. 

“You’re lucky I got good hearing, you know?” Claudia said with a smile as she walked over to the side of the bed Cloud resided. 

“Where is Sephiroth?” he asked. 

“Oh, well, you were conked out pretty good. So he was downstairs for a bit, and then Dan and Erik came by and asked if he’d check out the reactor. Apparently, there’s been some monsters congregating up there and they’re worried. And well, since he is the legendary hero, who better to ask, right? Honestly, it’s better than calling on ShinRa,” Claudia said and Cloud frowned. 

“It’s dangerous going up there. What if he gets lost,” the blonde said. 

“Oh, Tifa offered to take him up there. He’ll be fine in her hands, dear. Your dearly beloved will be back before you know it,” Ms. Strife teased, and even though Cloud tried to fight it, he felt his cheeks warm just a little as he averted his eyes. 

“So rest up, okay? Dinner will be ready soon,” Claudia said. And though he hesitated, the blonde nodded and laid back down as his mom walked away. That side of the bed was saturated in Sephiroth’s scent and Cloud groaned as he grabbed the pillow and stuffed his face into it. In the end, the blonde decided to hug the pillow to his chest and keep his face in it while he lay on his side under the covers, half-hard, of course. It was frustrating that Sephiroth was refusing to touch him, but at least his reason made sense, though it was still a shock that he had apparently passed out for two days after. 

Sure, it had been a really good orgasm after not being touched for so long, but that was quite something, embarrassing even, to be out for two days afterword. Of course, it wasn’t like that was the only thing that made him pass out, right? Maybe he should ask for his mate to touch him, Cloud was doing a lot better, so maybe he could at least get the silverette to give him a handjob, or maybe Sephiroth could let Cloud pleasure him instead. It had been so long since he’d seen his mate’s dick he kind of didn’t really remember what it looked like. Which was sad. Okay, he needed to stop thinking about Sephiroth’s dick and try to focus on something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things officially pick up at a breakneck speed next chapter, which I am halfway into already. ^_^ And you can probably guess why.


	28. Sephiroth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth does not return and Cloud goes to find him in ShinRa Manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you so much to everyone that have left comments, kudos, subscribed, and bookmarked! I hope everyone who has been returning to read enjoys this chapter too! It's quite a doozy of one too. 
> 
> And a shout out to my wonderful beta [Mr. Shimada ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_Shimada/pseuds/Mr_Shimada)for straightening out this chapter and making it run smoothly.
> 
> Um, so, I have a question to ask you guys. When writing I use a single document to house every chapter/word for a fic. And it seems that since hitting 220 pages my doc is starting to cause me a great deal of issues with lag. And the chapter listing is getting quite long on the site too. I still have a few chapters to go, not sure how many, maybe at least five before this arc here is done. Would anyone be opposed to me starting up a "book 2" and posting the next arc under Bind It With Silk and Barbed Wire with a subtitle or something? Or would you all prefer to keep reading here? I mean, this fic is not even a quarter done since I plan to loosely follow the events of the original game, which I haven't even started yet. I'd really appreciate the input. 
> 
> Enjoy~

Cloud was at the dinner table, eating slowly while taking breaks whenever his jaw began to ache. Though it wasn’t a constant problem, sometimes, especially when eating meat, the blonde’s jaw would simply grow tired and he’d have to take a break. The front door opened, and as Cloud and Claudia looked over they were surprised to see Tifa. A look of worry was on her face as she hurried over toward the dinner table and leaned against it, the house key in her hand tapping the polished surface of the wood. Curiously Cloud leaned a little out of his chair to look at the open door, but as soon as he felt himself start to tip he righted himself again and looked at Tifa.

“What’s wrong, Tifa? You looked spooked,” Claudia noted and the town beauty pulled out a chair and sat heavily, her eyes panicked, though she seemed at a loss for words. Then she looked at Cloud who stared, a firm expression on his face.

“Something is wrong with Sephiroth,” she finally blurted and the blonde’s brows furrowed as he looked at the door again and then back to Tifa.

“What do you mean?” Cloud asked.

“I-I’m not sure. All I know is that he went inside the reactor and then came out really upset. Like, really upset,” Tifa explained.

“What was in there?” Claudia asked with tension in her voice. “Is there something wrong with the reactor?” she added.

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t let me in. But, he was definitely upset about something, like, disturbed. He said he needed to look into something and went into ShinRa Manor,” Tifa explained and Cloud felt his heart twist sharply in his chest as a rush of anxiety warmed his blood. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his eyes to his plate.

“Oh, dear,” Ms. Strife muttered.

“I’ll go talk to him,” Cloud said and immediately Claudia looked up.

“No, you don’t. You’re still recovering, Cloud,” she said. “Sephiroth is a grown man. He can take care of himself,” she declared, voice a ton that said that there would be no argument. Cloud’s brows tightened in anger.

“Mom, if there’s something wrong he might need someone there,” Cloud said, trying anyway.

“No, if he needs help, he’ll come back here,” Claudia said, absolutely refusing to relent. Frustration reared up in Cloud, making his heart pulse faster as he jerked back from the table and leaned against the back of his chair, a surprisingly good action considering how much he still struggled in move.

“You have to have some trust in him, honey. Sephiroth doesn’t need you to baby him. If he’s upset, give him some time to sort things out on his own. He’ll come back home when he’s ready and you two can talk it out,” Ms. Strife insisted and Cloud huffed. Tifa watched the exchange, worry creasing her delicate brow. She clearly didn’t share Claudia’s steadfast resolve.

After that Tifa reluctantly left, leaving behind a brooding Cloud who in the end climbed his way back up to his room without finishing his dinner. The blonde sat on his bed and leaned against the wall, still angry, and as the minutes ticked by, he started to become anxious . Of course, his mother was technically right. Sephiroth was a grown man who could deal with things all by himself, but who wouldn’t want to see the person they loved when they were upset? Even if he was told off, Cloud wanted to make sure there was nothing he couldn’t do for his mate.

What if Sephiroth really could use some company? Someone to talk it out with? Sephiroth was even more introverted than he was, though for a moment Cloud wasn’t entirely sure how he came to notice that considering how forward he was when they were together. However, if the man was such a loner, would he really actively seek out help? Or would he just shut himself off and obsess over whatever was bothering him? There was an uncomfortable prickling at the base of Cloud’s spine, making him want to move. But there was no way he could sneak out, not with his mom downstairs. Since she knew he was mad, she would be watching for him. Fuck, did he have to be treated like a little kid? He was eighteen dammit. Wait, was he still eighteen? Oh, right, he was nineteen. Still, he didn’t get younger.

Sephiroth did not return. Not at bedtime. Not in the middle of the night. Not even when the sun came up. Cloud was wide awake and thoroughly drained. He hadn’t slept at all. The blonde couldn’t help the anxiety that bubbled up and overflowed through his body. His mom had gone to bed around one o’clock in the morning and Cloud wondered if it was because she was watching for him, or if maybe she had been waiting for Sephiroth herself. It poked and prodded at the blonde, at times digging into him as the anxiety began to morph into fear. Why hadn’t he come back? Was it something that required that much ‘looking into’? Cloud ate breakfast in bed, too tired to get out of bed without tripping over his already clumsy feet. Lunch came and went, and by then even Claudia had begun to pace. She had even disappeared for about a half-hour before coming back with nothing in her hands, as Cloud had spied from his spot on the couch.

He was still angry at his mom, though it had cooled considerably. Dinner came and went and the blonde had skipped it, instead opting for his nasty shake. When the sun went down, Cloud had decided he’d tried his mom’s plan of action, and it hadn’t worked. His mom was sat at the dinner table when the blonde finished his careful, trepid walk down the stairs while using the railing as a lifeline. At the bottom of the stairs Cloud stood and looked at Claudia. She sat, arms over the table with her hands pressed together and head down. Carefully the blonde moved, easing his way forward and working to keep his ankles from tottering too much as he made for the front door. His mom was going to hear him open it, so Cloud wasn’t sure why he felt the need to be quiet. But, he carefully twisted the lock and opened the door. Once it was open he glanced back at his mom, but she hadn’t moved. So, without any interruption, the blonde stepped out into the frigid air and closed the door quietly behind him, as if afraid a loud noise would activate her.

Outside, Cloud stuffed his hands into the pockets of a long knitted coat with a high collar. Various buckles lined the upper portion before it cut off and opened at the waist revealing his drawstring pants. He had found it in his closet, and though the blonde found it a bit loose on him, it was the right size. Carefully, Cloud walked, in the end taking his hands out of his pockets and at his sides in an almost balancing gesture as he put one foot down after the other, his shoes crunching over the dirt road that ran through town. Being outside was a bit overwhelming even though it was dark and void of people. Despite all that, Cloud was light-headed, which only made walking that much harder. A couple times he stumbled, once he actually did fall down, but after a short bit of struggle managed to get back onto his feet before moving forward. He was not going to go back. He wasn’t going to just sit on his butt and do nothing. Sephiroth searched for him and nursed him back to health. There was no fucking way he was going to sit around and do nothing. The past day had been a day too long. Cloud finally reached ShinRa Manor after what felt like a horrendously long and laborious walk, and though he hesitated at the broken gates that always used to scare him as a kid, he stepped through. ShinRa Manor was the town’s ghost story to the kids, which always made it the one place no one ever wanted to be even though everyone loved to dare someone to go in. No one ever could get in, which was always a secret wave of relief.

The front doors were unlocked, but unfortunately very heavy. It was exceedingly difficult to push one side open, and Cloud almost fell more than once when his dizzy spells struck worse. His stomach protested, threatening to make him sick with the strain despite how little he had vomited in a while. Once the door was open, the blonde nearly collapsed but managed to half stumble, half crawl to the stairs before falling onto them to sit and recover. Covered in sweat and thoroughly exhausted, the blonde wished he had grown stronger already. How was he supposed to find Sephiroth in such a huge mansion in his current condition? The stairs in and of themselves were a cruel obstacle. After resting on his arms, Cloud gathered up what strength he had and decided to go upstairs first. While it was easier to go downstairs first, he just wanted to get the stairs out of the way first, going down would be better than up, and if he was particularly concerned, he could come down on his butt. It wasn’t attractive but it would work. After using the railing to help himself up, Cloud reached the top of the banister and looked right and then left. Since he had chosen the right side of the stairs to ascend the blonde turned to the right, it was just closer. Down a large grand hall to the right wing, Cloud laboriously searched rooms as he came upon them. More than once he had to rest, and for a brief moment, he wished he hadn’t taken up the task without trying to get his mom to help him or to pop by Tifa’s.

Cloud came upon a bedroom on the far end of the right wing. In fact, it was the very last door. Inside was a double bed and a large bookcase. But what caught his eyes was the large rectangular entryway where an ominous green light emanated. Knowing he must have found exactly what he was looking for, Cloud staggered his way to the opening and peered down at what was currently his worst nightmare given his two left feet. Not only was there no railing, but the wood stairs looked like they could give under his weight at any moment. The light was coming from downstairs and he could hear something. Cloud held his breath a moment and heard something again. Feet! He heard walking! Pure excitement filled him to the brim as the blonde leaned heavily against the wall and took the steps carefully down, spiraling down to the ground floor. Once he reached the stone floor, Cloud wanted to stop and rest. He was so hot and out of breath, and his body shook in exhaustion. He almost felt like he was going to just tip over and face plant.

There was a nasty smell around him. Acidic and oddly sterile like a doctor’s office. Cloud could no longer hear the feet but pushed himself forward. It was a long tunnel carved out of the earth that he followed, doing his best not to trip in the mud as he walked, slow and clumsy. Once he reached wherever Sephiroth was, the blonde wasn’t sure he could go back on his own. His body felt like it was at its limit. And it made Cloud only look forward to seeing Sephiroth all the more. He really wanted a hug when he got there. He followed the light through the darkness into another chamber, and immediately both the powerful acidic smell hit his nose also with the scent of his mate. Just off to his right a pair of green eyes framed by long silver hair looked up at him. Sitting at a desk with various books opened around him was Sephiroth dressed in his iconic leather raiment. Cloud tried to smile but stopped himself when he realized he received no greeting. Sephiroth just stared, lips a thin line and eyes… piercing. Almost scathing. Cold. The blonde’s heart flipped and twisted painfully in his chest as he attempted to take a step forward but kicked his own foot and tripped. Cloud managed to catch himself with his hands and save his face, but the blow to his knees and shoulders tore a pained grunt from him. After a breath he looked up, realizing that he heard nothing, and saw that the silverette had not moved. Which was surprising. He just sat, watching him, almost looking like he was studying him. Something felt off.

“Sephiroth?” Cloud called. Normally his mate would have helped him up. Normally, he’d have rushed to catch him. Dread birthed itself in the blonde’s stomach as he pulled his legs forward and sat down, finding it much easier than standing.

“Go away,” Sephiroth’s deep voice said, almost growled. The sound was a painful stab to his heart and Cloud frowned, brows twisting up in dismay.

“Why?” he asked.

“I don’t need you,” was the silverette’s terse response and the stab twisted even more. Cloud leaned forward on his hands, confused as the pain in his chest increased with each pump of his heart.

“Wh-what do you mean? I came to see you,” the blonde said, voice quavering. Why did he sound so callous?

“And you have, haven’t you?” Sephiroth stated dismissively before looking down at the book in front of him and Cloud flinched. What was happening? There was no affection, not even any warmth in his voice, in his face. No, it was like, it was like he found the blonde annoying. Everything about the silverette, his gaze, his expression, even his voice. He didn’t want Cloud anywhere near him. He was a bother.

“Why are you so angry?” Cloud decided to ask, his breath catching in his chest afterward when those sharp, intense eyes tore through him. A smirk curved Sephiroth’s lips and he chuckled, and then he laughed, shoulder shaking. The laughter then broke into a fit, a manic one that threw his head back. And then, suddenly, with a breath, he stopped and fixed Cloud with an expression the blonde didn’t even know how to describe. Other than, maybe, completely out of his right mind.

“Angry? Hah, funny. You disgusting creatures, polluting, shitting on and destroying everything that is rightfully mine,” Sephiroth declared and Cloud felt his heart drop into his twisting, suddenly nauseous stomach. What? “Oh, angry doesn’t even begin to describe it,” the silverette went on as he stood up. “No better than vermin, pests that I will crush beneath my feet.” Cloud felt intense heat and pressure build up behind his eyes as his heart gave into another sharp, painful twist. What was going on? It was like, it was like Sephiroth wasn’t really there anymore. Who was he talking to? And what was Sephiroth talking about? It seemed so random. Had he been infected with something? It was a ridiculous thought, but Cloud didn’t know what else to think.

“Please, Sephiroth. It’s me, Cloud,” the blonde pleaded. He didn’t know what to say and so blurted the first thing he could think of. “I’m your mate, your bond,” he added, voice quivering in higher pitch. Sephiroth stopped in his walk around the desk and crossed one arm over his stomach while his other hand lifted up to his chin as he walked toward Cloud, strolled up to him before circling him, inspecting him with a hum.

“And what a piece of garbage you are,” Sephiroth noted and Cloud gasped. All that twisting pain just exploded and tears broke from the blonde’s eyes and started to trickle down his cheeks. Cloud’s head fell as he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth. It was too cruel. What the fuck was happenng? It was like he was talking to an evil imposture.

“I don’t know what I ever saw in you. Small, weak little omega. A useless omega at that,” Sephiroth continued and Cloud quivered. Oh, God, could it hurt any worse? What was happening? Was he in a nightmare? Did he fall asleep somewhere? Cloud sucked in a shaky breath. He almost had to be asleep.

“Please, I love you,” he muttered, and Sephiroth laughed.

“Pitiful feeling, it’s a delusion. I was under its misguidance too. But I’ve broken free of it,” the silverette informed as he walked away. Cloud blinked against the tears blurring his vision, his hands shaking into fists on the floor. A spark of anger ignited then. Struggling up, Cloud ended up using the desk to help himself stand as Sephiroth walked over toward a section of the bookcase near the other side of the desk.

“No!” Cloud shouted defiantly, which drew a look over the silverette’s shoulder. Cloud glared, growing even more indignant. “That’s not true! I don’t know what’s wrong, but this isn’t you! I know you love me!” Cloud cried, voice growing in volume and strength even if his heroic stance was hardly anything worth immortalizing leaned on the desk.

“Get out,” Sephiroth hissed. Cloud glared and moved around the desk toward the silverette.

“Please, think about it Sephiroth. You came here searching for me, remember? I’m the whole reason you came to Nibelheim,” he pleaded.

“And perhaps I should thank you. I finally get to meet my mother,” the silverette said dismissively of him. Confusion bubbled up in Cloud’s mind. Sephiroth’s mother? She lived in Nibelheim? What did that have to do with what was happening now?

“Sephiroth, please. This isn’t like you. I love you, and you love me. You took care of me all this time-”

“Wiping your ass, yes, I remember,” Sephiroth cut in and Cloud ignored the rush of shame.

“Exactly! You dealt with that, didn’t you? You nursed me, you washed me, you slept right by my side every night! You were the one who said you loved me! Please, really try to think about it!” Cloud pleaded. Sephiroth closed and the book he’d pulled out and turned to Cloud before stepping up to him quickly and shoving the blonde against the table. Cloud gasped when he fell on it and the silverette stared down at him as he leaned forward over him. Fear rocketed through the blonde and he swallowed.

“Please, Sephiroth. I love you so much. Just yesterday we talked, remember?” Cloud pleaded softly, voice trembling in his growing fear. The man staring down at him was nothing but dangerous, he could feel it. Only hatred and an aura of violence radiated from him. The silverette smirked as he lifted one hand and stroked the back of his gloved hand against Cloud’s cheek.

“I certainly do,” Sephiroth informed.

“We talked about Hojo, remember? What he did to us?” Cloud asked and a haunting chuckle issued from the silverette’s smirking lips.

“Remember? Funny that you are the one to ask about memory,” Sephiroth said as he used the hand he had touched Cloud’s cheek with to tap his index finger against the side of his skull. “How is your memory doing these days?” he asked. Cloud stared, confused, and the knowing look on Sephiroth’s face grew.

“My sweet little puppet, you’re in more trouble than you realize,” the silverette said. Cloud sucked in a sharp breath, brows drawing up together in frustration as his heart raced in his chest. It wasn’t working. He wasn’t getting through to him. Sephiroth was slipping away, and for the life of him the blonde couldn’t understand what the hell caused him to change so drastically so quickly; it was almost like the silverette was infected with something. What could he do? What could he do change the course this conversation was going? He needed something to get Sephiroth to actually think about what he was doing. What he was saying. Forcing his weak hands up to his neck, Cloud tugged the collar of his coat down and pulled his head to the side, exposing his mark.

“Please, Sephiroth. I’m yours, remember? We bonds have to stay together. I love you, and I know somewhere in there, the real you is still in there, and that you still love me,” Cloud declared, though his mouth was just running away with him. He was just blurting out whatever crossed his mind. When there was no response, Cloud turned his face forward and stared into the silverette’s expression, but Sephiroth’s eyes were apparently still on his neck, on the mark, as if absorbed by it. A shot of adrenaline coursed through Cloud, he didn’t know if this was a chance or if he was about to get hurt; he didn’t know what this sudden pause meant, but he wanted to seize what he could of it. Using his hands to push himself up, Cloud got into an upright position, which put his face in the juncture between Sephiroth’s neck and shoulder, and putting the silverette’s face consequently, right at his mark. If the guy was going to stare at it so hard, maybe it was something he could use. The blonde lifted his shaking hands up to his mate’s chest and touched the exposed pale flesh. He was warm, and Cloud even felt the swell of muscles twitch as a barely perceivable hitch caught in Sephiroth’s breath. Something was happening. He didn’t know what, but the blonde was going to take some action.

Cloud’s arms shook and the strain was almost painful as he lifted his thin limbs and wrapped them around Sephiroth’s neck, turning his neck again to expose the bite more openly to his mate’s face. Pulling himself closer, the blonde pressed his lips to the silverette’s neck and gave a soft, lingering kiss. Sephiroth’s breath quickened and a strong smell of arousal quickly filled the air, and Cloud felt his heart flutter. No matter what Sephiroth said, he couldn’t hide from the truth. They were meant to be together. Sephiroth’s head turned while Cloud moved back from his neck until they were face to face, barely an inch apart. There was a lingering pause as breath fanned each other’s face, and then the silverette moved and captured Cloud’s lips in a kiss. The blonde pressed back as he angled his head and sealed their lips. Sephiroth’s entire body went into sudden action, like a parched man with a drink of water. While his tongue plunged into Cloud’s welcoming mouth the silverette’s hands took hold of his mate’s body, urgent, but oddly gentle given his demeanor just moments prior as he pushed his weight forward onto the blonde, pushing him down onto the desk.

Sephiroth’s hands slid down Cloud’s body, eager, feeling out and brushing some of the loose straps off the jacket out of his way as their tongues curled and rubbed affectionately together. A pleasured moan vibrated from deep in the silverette’s chest that his bond mimicked with the pulsing swell of his cock in his boxers. Sephiroth’s hands went to the blonde’s drawstring pants and easily slid them down his hips with his boxers, exposing his mate’s half swollen cock to the air. They broke lips with a puff of breath as Sephiroth stepped back enough to pull Cloud’s pants and boxers off over his shoes before coming back forward with impatient energy. The blonde rest against the desk, too exhausted and worn out to be as much of a participant as he’d like, but the silverette more than made up for it when their lips met again and a hungry tongue searched his out. It felt good to have Sephiroth’s hands slide beneath Cloud’s shirt, caressing leather tipped fingers sliding across his skin as one hand slid beneath his back and down, stroking over the soft round of the blonde’s ass while his other hand slid down and wrapped around Cloud’s waking cock. Pleasure hummed all through the blonde’s body when the hand on his ass disappeared and the sound of a belt buckle being fumbled with hit the air and Cloud moaned, cock swelling to full height in excitement as his ass wet against the desk. Their lips broke apart with another pant as Sephiroth’s right hand massaged the swollen flesh between his gloved fingers.

“Sephiroth,” Cloud panted before he attempted to lift his head, face flushed in pleasure and dizzier than ever while Sephiroth once again stole his lips and plunged his tongue aggressively into his mouth. The blonde sank down and spread his legs while his mate pressed in between them against the desk. Sephiroth’s fingers began to stroke the blonde’s dick, sliding the foreskin back and forth, pumping Cloud’s cock with growing urgency. The blonde trembled, growing more wet from the head of his cock and ass as the musky scent of arousal pressed harder down on him. It was definitely different, there was none of the affection or playfulness he was used to feeling against Sephiroth, but the need, the want was still there. His mate’s hand stopped stroking him and Cloud made a slight sound of protest that was swallowed by the silverette before he broke lips and his hands grabbed the blonde’s hips. With his ankles up against Sephiroth’s powerful shoulders, Cloud was pulled down until his ass just rest on the edge of the desk and the blonde’s heart raced hard in his chest, well aware of what he was about to feel, and feel he did when the head of an eager cock pressed against him. A low hum of pleasure came from Sephiroth as he stared down at where he held his cock before pushing his hips forward.

“So wet,” the silverette purred as his cock broke the muscles apart and slid forward, and a grunt of pleasure that unfurled into a moan spilled from Cloud’s mouth as his back twitched when his prostate was rubbed against. Ah, it had been a long time, right? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been filled with Sephiroth’s dick. The silverette slid deep until his balls met the flesh of Cloud’s stretched ass before he adjusted his footing. With both hands on the blonde’s hips slitted green eyes slid up the blonde’s body before settling on his face and Cloud felt himself burn under the smirk he was given.

“You always did get very hard and wet for me, Cloud,” Sephiroth purred before his hips drew back, dragging his engorged cock backward and a gasping moan slid from the blonde’s lips before it slammed back in and Cloud jerked out a cry of a moan. A chuckle hit the air.

“If I changed the angle, I could violate your intestinal tract very easily,” Sephiroth informed and the blonde’s brows furrowed in discomfort at the thought.

“Please, Sephiroth. I know you don’t want to hurt me, so stop saying such mean things,” Cloud panted, dazed, and the silverette’s expression was stony for a second. “Even if you’re a monster, even if you’re not human, I still love you. Please, just come back to me Sephiroth. You’re not yourself right now,” the blonde pleaded, losing coherence. Staring at Cloud, the silverette drew his hips back and thrust his cock back in and the blonde groaned in pleasure, cock twitching and leaking against his belly. Pleasure shaped the contours of Sephiroth’s face as his hips set into a rhythm, rubbing into the pliant, quivering muscles of his mate’s hole.

Cloud’s eyes fluttered closed as open mouthed moans panted into the air, body rocking on the desk with each forward thrust and backward slide off his mate’s dick. Each hard rub struck strong bursts of pleasure all throughout the blonde’s nervous system and into his stiff cock, inducing a powerful pulsing that made Cloud’s hips jerk in want to have more. Perhaps encouraged by the blonde’s small movements, Sephiroth's dick rubbed faster, harder and the moans from both of them grew louder and more labored. Boiling all through his body and the pulsing of his cock made Cloud tremble, his already overtaxed body struggling to keep up as the boiling heat of orgasm twisting up tighter, higher. The blonde’s legs were allowed to fall to the side as Sephiroth fell onto his hands on the desk, pleasure tensing his face as his cock rubbed fervently, bouncing Cloud harder. The blonde’s back twitched, the hard, perfectly timed thrusts against his sweet spot shooting intense pleasure pulsing through his cock as orgasm drew near, twisting up violently.

Orgasm crashed into Cloud hard and his back arched sharply, head thrown back as a loud, guttural moan broke from the back of his throat as his throbbing cock exploded over his belly while every quivering muscle tightened. A growl of pleasure hissed from Sephiroth’s lips as his eyes snapped up to the delicate, strained curve of the right side of Cloud’s neck. The blonde’s hands flew out, grabbing onto the lapels of the silverette’s coat as the man thrust harder, faster, lost of coherence as the blaring surge of pleasure shot all through him, filling him violently through the hot throbbing of his cock before tearing free. An intense explosion rippled through Sephiroth’s body as he shoved himself hard one last time into Cloud, twitching cock exploding thick and heavy inside his mate as a powerful tingling shocked all through his jaw, his teeth, and down his throat.

The silverette lunged forward, mouth open wide before snapping his teeth down into the delicate column of flesh and Cloud jerked hard. A scream tore from the blonde’s mouth as his legs kicked while tears poured out of his right eye while the sharp, searing pain shot up to his ear and down his neck to his shoulder. Sephiroth groaned in pleasure, eyes fluttering closed as his hips jerked a couple more times before finally, stopping. Cloud sobbed, unable to help it, it had been such a shock, and the pain too severe. Never had the blonde expected to experience that bite again. Sephiroth stiffened and jerked away as Cloud struggled to lift his arm to cup his bleeding neck, but it flopped uselessly as he tried to turn away, some primal part of his brain sending him the strong impulse to run, but he couldn’t move, he could only flail uselessly.

Hands were on him then, and Cloud tried to bat them away, but his noodle arms were absolutely ineffective. The hands, stubborn, forced him to expose his neck, expose the four puncture marks that bled down his throat as Cloud sucked in sharp, gasping breaths. The hands moved from him then and the blonde struggled to clear his blurred vision and look at Sephiroth who was quickly working his dick back into his pants. The silverette moved silent and quick, and Cloud wondered if it had all been worth it or not. It had been a stupid idea to try and use his body like that. He had ignored all the signs of danger and let himself throw caution to the wind. Sephiroth leaned over him then and Cloud moaned in pain when his sleep pants were shoved unceremoniously up his legs. For a brief moment the blonde even felt the want to just kick his mate as hard as he could in anger. The hands then returned to his neck and then his shoulders before he was lifted and turned around until he was in two strong arms with his head against his mate’s chest. Nothing was said to him as the arm across his upper back bent so that one large hand could cup his wounded neck. Sephiroth walked briskly out of the library, up the spiral stairs of the tower, through the manor, across town, and to Claudia Strife’s front door. Cloud stared, too exhausted to really think as he leaned boneless against the silverette. Suddenly the blonde felt a lot like he had before he’d been able to move or talk.

“Cloud?!” his mother cried, but was ignored as Sephiroth wordlessly carried him upstairs.

“What happened?!” Claudia demanded, and for the first time, the silverette spoke.

“He’s injured,” Sephiroth stated flatly. Cloud let himself be put onto the bed, hair brushed from his face by leather gloves before Ms. Strife came in. The blonde couldn’t move, he could barely even breathe even though each pulse of his heart brought with it pain.

“What? Did you bite him?! Why?!” Claudia gasped, anger in her words. No answer came from Sephiroth as he retreated from the bed. After a moment Cloud was able to twist his head despite the pain that lanced through his throat and looked to see Sephiroth in the hall, face in his hands.

“What’s the matter with you?!” Claudia gasped, still angry as she grabbed Cloud’s face and turned him to look up at her. Cloud stared and blinked, took in a breath, and whimpered. Anger and sorrow warred within his mom’s expression as she gently urged her son to turn his head the other way.

“It’s okay baby, you’re going to be alright,” Claudia whispered urgently, but with love as she dabbed Cloud’s neck with something that burned and the blonde hissed in pain as he tensed. “I know, baby. It’ll be over in just a minute,” Ms. Strife assuaged before covering and taping his neck. Amidst the sudden ringing in his ears Cloud almost missed it, but he picked up the sound of Sephiroth’s boots walking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you guys think of my idea if you wish to give the input.


	29. Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Sephiroth have a sweet moment of respite among a brewing turbulent storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you all so much for your support on this fic so far! Thank you all very much!
> 
> And a shout out to my wonderful beta [Mr. Shimada ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_Shimada/pseuds/Mr_Shimada)for straightening out this chapter and making it run smoothly.
> 
> I'm going to be thinking about your guys' response to my question last chapter. I think I would prefer to make this a series, but I won't rush any decision. I will most definitely let you all know, and there will be links to the next posting if I do, do it so that it's easy to get to. Primarily, I want to do something that you guys are happy with. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this new chapter!
> 
> I'd wait to read the end of chapter notes, they're kinda spoiler-y.

“My goodness, it really looks like another bonding mark,” Claudia said when she finished taping up Cloud, who remained motionless, body tingling with exhaustion that left him almost numb. However, tired he was, the blonde still felt heat in his face as he directed his eyes away from his mom when she gave him a pointed look.

“What happened between you two?” she asked in a knowing voice and Cloud felt his face absolutely burn. He’d never talked about sex with anyone but Sephiroth, and it was even more embarrassing when it was his mom of all people.

“Y-you know, don’t ask,” Cloud muttered bashfully.

“But Cloud honey, I thought you were already bonded to Sephiroth,” Claudia said, her voice perplexed, which drew a sideways glance from her son.

“Yeah,” he stated, but paused upon his mom’s confused look. Slowly, he turned his face to look at her when she spoke again.

“But, that doesn’t make sense. I mean, if that first mark is from Sephiroth, how could he make another?” Ms. Strife muttered more to herself than anything.

“What do you mean?” Cloud asked. Claudia fixed her son with an even more confused look on her face before it cleared away with realization.

“Oh, that’s right. You never got omega schooling. I forgot how we organize that here,” Ms. Strife said and the blonde bit back a condescending remark about it.

“Well, honey, when an alpha bites an omega he injects his venom into the bloodstream,” Claudia explained and Cloud’s eyes rounded for a second.

“What?” he asked.

“Is this the first you’ve heard of it?” his mom asked and slowly the blonde nodded.

“Oh, I guess the topic just never came up. So, yes, alpha venom is injected at the time of biting,” Claudia restated before grinning. “How else would the special bond between alpha and omega exist? I mean, a simple bite does nothing, you know. But the alpha venom, I guess you could say in a way, infects you, affecting your brain primarily. It’s why you’re so sensitive to your bond and why omegas instinctively reject anyone that is not their alpha,” Ms. Strife explained.

“I heard alphas have the same problem,” Cloud interjected.

“Oh, yes. When you, for example, were injected with Sephiroth’s venom it altered your pheromones. And he picks up on it every time he smells you. Especially from the bite mark. Other erogenous zones for the scent of course are the armpits and groin. The bite still seems to be pretty unique though, I’m not sure why,” Claudia explained before realizing she’d derailed a bit. “Anyway, an alpha has a venom sack right near the lymph nodes in the neck. When the reflex is triggered his fangs protrude and of course, he bites, injecting his venom. Like Sephiroth did to you. But, once that bite is done, the sack is depleted completely. An alpha only gets one bite, and if they screw up, then they never get to bond,” Claudia explained, once again her expression becoming confused as she looked up and away in thought. Cloud relaxed on the bed.

“It’s just a bite then,” the blonde asserted. His mom shook her head.

“If it were, it’d be a whole set of teeth marks, blunt teeth. But it’s only fang marks, Cloud. Sephiroth’s fangs won’t extend without the nerve impulses triggered by the venom sacks. Which means, I’m certain, that somehow he must have had more than one shot in him. Which means you’ve been marked a second time,” Claudia explained, eyes cast to her son’s desk and Cloud’s brows tensed up slightly, worrying. “Oh, I do hope that there isn’t such a thing as too much venom. I don’t want you sick again, or worse,” his mom muttered and the blonde frowned.

“Well, other than exhausted, I feel fine. Even my stomach is surprisingly calm right now,” Cloud informed, drawing his mother’s face toward him. She smiled and pet his head.

“Well, let’s hope so. I want you all better,” Claudia informed and Cloud nodded in agreement. Heaving a sigh and pressing her hands to her thighs Ms. Strife looked out the door and frowned.

“Oh, Sephiroth left. Where did he go?” Claudia wondered out loud as she stood up. Cloud’s frown returned. Sephiroth still wasn’t being normal. Though for some reason he had carried the blonde back home. Cloud sat up, drawing his mother forward.

“I need to find him,” the blonde said and Claudia gave him a stern look.

“You went after him and came back injured. No,” she said. Cloud glared.

“Mom, I get that you’re worried. But something is really wrong with Sephiroth. I need to be there. He already bit me, even if he did have more than one shot of venom, what are the chances of three? I’ll be okay. And I mean, he carried me back here. He’s still taking care of me,” Cloud argued, perhaps a little too much. Claudia frowned.

“But honey, you are still so sick,” Ms. Strife said, but Cloud cut her off.

“I’m okay enough to go all through the right wing of ShinRa Manor, get bit, and be conscious here. And I have this feeling that he’s back there again since I interrupted him. In fact, if you’d be willing to take me to ShinRa Manor, I’d really appreciate it. Otherwise, I’m going by myself. I can’t let you stop me. Sephiroth is in trouble,” Cloud asserted, face hard. Claudia’s frown deepened.

“Cloud, must you, really?” she asked, a plea to her voice.

“Yeah. I think as his bond I’m the only one that can help him. Even though getting bit ruined it, I think I was managing to calm him down. And in fact, he might be the opposite of calm now if he’s worried he hurt me,” Cloud pushed, and after a moment of what appeared to be an internal debate, his mom gave a sigh.

“Fine, I mean, if he’s out all night again it’ll be bad for him. I imagine he’s not sleeping, like you,” Claudia said and the blonde paused when he started to get up on his hands. His mom gave him a knowing look.

“You think I didn’t notice? You were tossing and turning all night, sighing too,” Ms. Strife informed and Cloud froze, eyes wide like he’d been caught doing something bad. Damn, his mom really did have excellent hearing. It was superhuman.

“All right then, honey. Get up,” Claudia said, waiting for Cloud to get off the bed. Sheepish, he got up and wrapped an arm around his mom’s shoulders. “Alright. I expect you to bring your bond home. I still need to give my formal blessing for you two,” she said, which drew a confused look from Cloud as they walked down the hall, descended the stairs, and went outside. Cloud made it to the manor a lot faster this time before being dropped off at the front door. When she let her son go, Claudia gave Cloud a concerned look.

“I don’t know what’s going on. And I am really worried. But clearly, you have a better idea than I do. So, please, Cloud. Don’t get hurt. And bring him back home for some food and rest,” Ms. Strife said as the blonde gave a nod at her. His mom only hesitated a moment longer before reluctantly turning around and walking back the way she’d come.

After fighting his way through the doors, Cloud made it into the foyer and rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath. It was weird that he was feeling more put together than last time and it hadn’t been that long ago, though he was still exhausted. But there was no time to be tired. He had something monumentally important to do. Using the railing as a pull, Cloud climbed the stairs and turned to the right, intent on going for the same place as before. He used the walls for support, but moved faster, perhaps fueled by adrenaline until he made it to the last room and stepped inside before freezing.

Sephiroth lay on his back on the bed in the dark bedroom, illuminated only by moonlight. In full dress with Masamune leaned against the wall by his head. His hands were linked over his stomach and he simply lay there, not moving. And then the silverette’s low, rumbling voice fell over him.

“I knew you’d be back,” his bond said. Cloud swallowed the sudden rush of anxiety and walked his way into the room before stopping at the bed, feeling like he was swaying on his feet. “Stubborn. I knew that though,” Sephiroth observed. He hadn’t moved at all, not even twitched, but clearly he was talking.

“I’m not leaving without you,” Cloud said, voice resolute. A chuckle filled the air, and the blonde actually saw it shake the silverette’s chest. Finally, the hands moved, and one gloved hand reached out in an offering gesture. Cautiously, the blonde approached and half sat, half fell onto the edge of the bed before he turned to face the head of it where he could see his mate’s face. The hand then came forward and rest on Cloud’s thigh.

“You shouldn’t be here. I might,” Sephiroth’s voice drifted away for a second, “hurt you.” Cloud didn’t mean to, but he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

“I knew you didn’t want to hurt me,” the blonde stated confidently and another chuckle came from Sephiroth.

“It seems so,” Sephiroth agreed. The blonde leaned forward onto his arms, trying to see the silverette’s face, but the moon didn’t give enough light to really let him see. Very quickly strain started to shake his arms and Cloud frowned as he leaned back to sit upright. Sephiroth was still being weird. But he was calmer now, and not speaking cruel things.

“Sephiroth?” The blonde asked, voice trepid. There was no response. “Can we go home now? I don’t know what’s happening. What you’re trying to deal with. But, I’m here for you, you know. I may not be all that amazing or anything, but if you need me I’m here. And I won’t leave,” Cloud said and the hand on his thigh slid up to his arm before long fingers wrapped around the slender limb.

“I wanted to be rid of you. But it seems, I can’t help but yearn to have you near me,” Sephiroth said as his arm pulled, and without much fight, the blonde crawled up and laid down on top of his mate, head against his chest. A chest that rose and fell in even breaths while a steady heartbeat thumped against Cloud’s ear when he laid his head to rest. Sephiroth smelled so good, it always felt so good to be saturated and touched by him.

“I love you,” Cloud said, and when no response came, sucked his lip between his teeth, fighting the twinge of pain he felt in his chest. Okay, so Sephiroth hadn’t come back around that much yet. The hand which had pulled the blonde lifted and started stroking leisurely down his back.

“You smell good,” Sephiroth suddenly said softly and Cloud said nothing in return. After a while, the adrenaline that had fueled him started to ebb away and exhaustion crept back in, saturating his bones and bogging his brain. Cloud couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore. He was so warm, and oddly enough, he felt incredibly safe. Maybe, maybe in the morning Sephiroth would be himself again. Maybe after finally getting some sleep he’d be back to normal. As sleep edged closer Cloud’s thoughts disordered before finally, he was out.

~~~

“Cloud?” the blonde roused to the feeling of something touching his cheek. When he finally opened his eyes and raised his heavy head, he realized with surprise that Sephiroth was touching his cheek with his hand while peering down his chest at him. A smile curved his mate’s lips in the light of dawn.

“What are you doing, sleeping so sweetly, hm?” Sephiroth asked and Cloud blinked, confused as he tried to sit up but collapsed instead.

“Looks like you used up a lot of strength yesterday,” the silverette observed. Cloud tried again, but it took Sephiroth’s arms on his shoulders to help him sit upright. Confusion twisted the blonde’s brow as he looked down at his mate. His voice was softer, warmer, and his expression, so much gentler. What? It was like he was back to normal. Cloud stared, at a loss. Was a night of sleep really all it took?

“Sephiroth?” he croaked, which made his cheeks burn as he tried to clear his throat, drawing a chuckle from his mate. After taking a moment to collect himself, Cloud looked into Sephiroth’s eyes, they looked like they always did. Anxiety rippled through him, afraid to think that somehow, magically, everything was back to normal.

“Do you,” Cloud hesitated, “remember last night?” the blonde asked, and the silverette’s brow lifted up as he sat up, a hand on the small of Cloud’s back to keep him from toppling back before allowing his mate to settle in his lap.

“I do, actually,” the silverette stated, his voice low, mournful.

“I don’t know why, but I was overcome with intense negative emotions, thoughts, that weren’t my own,” Sephiroth explained as he lifted his right hand and cupped Cloud’s cheek as he leaned down until their faces were close, long streams of hair brushing forward.

“I said and did awful things to you, Cloud. I’m sorry,” the silverette said and the tension in the blonde’s heart twisted tight as his brow creased in dismay.

“Do you... love me?” Cloud asked, hesitant. Sephiroth’s forehead rest against his own and a breath passed the silverette’s lips.

“Of course,” Sephiroth affirmed and all the tension just snapped, broke free from him, flooding the blonde with relief. Cloud sank forward, arms lifting as he wrapped them around his mate’s waist and let his body weight plaster him to his mate’s chest. A chuckle vibrated that chest and the blonde smiled with a relieved sigh.

“Sephiroth, I love you so much,” Cloud declared, feeling hot water build up in his eyes that he tried to blink away.

“I love you too, Cloud,” Sephiroth said back, before chuckling. “It’s certainly nice to finally say it to each other, isn’t it?” he asked and Cloud nodded against his mate’s chest. The two remained still like that for a few minutes more before Sephiroth interrupted the pleasant cuddle.

“Well, it’s best we get you home. I’m sure your Claudia will be frazzled beyond belief,” the silverette suggested and Cloud’s lips quirked up a little at the thought. Hopefully, his mom wouldn’t be too mad he was gone until morning. But, if he brought Sephiroth home, back to normal, maybe she’d forgive him. After that Cloud was scooped up into his mate’s arms and carried back to his house. Inside they were greeted by a thankful and overly energetic mother who apparently was on some untold cup of coffee after being up all night. The bloodshot eyes were a dead giveaway. Feeling guilty, but happy, Cloud allowed his mom to fuss over him with Sephiroth at his side. His mate even changed out of his military gear, back into the standard civilian fair he’d been wearing. They ate breakfast at the table. Cloud and Sephiroth lay in bed all day, only sitting up to eat in bed. Then they lay around some more, in which Cloud embarrassingly fell asleep on the silverette’s chest. 

In the evening they ate dinner at the table and then changed into pajamas for bed. It was only after the bedroom door was closed that Sephiroth locked it and slid in behind Cloud before the blonde felt curious fingers dance along his torso toward the hem of his pants, skipping then to his inner thigh before rubbing. Excited, Cloud turned around and their lips sealed together in a kiss. After that their freshly changed clothes were taken off and the blonde found himself panting and moaning, leaning against stroking hands all over his body before Sephiroth filled him up inside with his cock and rubbed him. Only after a climax that Sephiroth reminded they kept muffled, did the two relax, pull on underwear and curl up again, settling in finally for sleep. Cloud was smiling into his pillow, soothed in so many ways. Everything was finally over. His was mostly over his mako-poisoning. Sephiroth was himself again. He was getting to hear all the I love yous he could ever want, and he was having sex again. Settling in place, the blonde allowed himself to drift to sleep with the feeling of his mate’s body pressed around him.

Cloud woke to shaking and desperate calls of his name.

“Cloud! Wake up honey!” the shrill gasps of his mother’s voice jerked Cloud from his half-asleep stupor and he looked up at her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, turning to look over his shoulder to see that Sephiroth was gone.

“Sephiroth is leaving!” Claudia gasped and Cloud jerked up, adrenaline surging through him as he stared, wide-eyed at his mom in horror.

“What?” he muttered in disbelief. Confusion was trying to claim him, why would Sephiroth leave? To where?

“He said something about his mother. But, honey, something was very wrong with him. Honestly, he terrified me,” Claudia said and the blonde went into action, but perhaps due to still being in recovery and having just woken, he flopped over the edge of the bed and hit the floor in a glorious crash.

“Cloud!” Ms. Strife cried as the blonde engaged his muscles with more care and sat up, gritting his teeth and hissing through the throbs of pain.

“I’m fine!” Cloud grunted as he worked himself onto his feet and reached for his clothes folded on his desk. He was going after Sephiroth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! Bet you thought I was done with Cloud's omega schooling. Noooope. lol And there's still more to learn~
> 
> And, a question to ask, because I'm curious. Who thinks that was "real" Sephiroth, or "evil" Sephiroth pretending.


	30. One Winged Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud chases Sephiroth up to the reactor and realizes he must fight harder than any time he ever has to save everything that matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you all so much for your support on this fic so far! Thank you all very much!
> 
> And a shout out to my wonderful beta [Mr. Shimada ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_Shimada/pseuds/Mr_Shimada)for straightening out this chapter and making it run smoothly and pointing out confusing sequences.
> 
> I think I may just go to the new posting when this arc is finished. I hope you all enjoy this to the end and the new posting when it begins! I'll also be editing the tags here soon so that they properly reflect this book and you will then see them again most definitely in the next.
> 
> Enjoy~
> 
> Also: I listened to Deceiver of Fools by Within Temptation while writing most of this chapter. lol

Dressed in one of his old t-shirts and jeans with his new coat over top, Cloud walked with an arm slung around his mother’s shoulders. For the most part the blonde was upright, but still he appreciated the steady hand. Just past ShinRa Manor, Cloud caught sight of Sephiroth’s tall gait in the moonlight, walking gracefully up the hill heading out of town toward the reactor, the long waves of his silvery hair waving in the breeze at his powerful back. His mate was back in his military gear again, almost blending into the night if not for his hair with Masamune in his hand.

“Sephiroth!” Cloud called, and his heart skipped a beat when the silverette paused, turned around and looked at him. A smirk curved his lips as he lifted his index finger and curled it toward himself before he turned around and resumed walking. A horrible chill raced down the blonde’s back as dread filled his stomach. Sephiroth was not himself again, but he wasn’t telling Cloud off either. It was unnerving to be beckoned like that.

“I’ll go alone here, mom,” the blonde said and Claudia’s hand on his waist pulled him tighter to her side, drawing his eyes to her face, but it wasn’t easy to see her expression from the way the shadows obscured her eyes and mouth due to her face’s lowered angle in such low light.

“Cloud, I’m really scared,” Ms. Strife said and Cloud’s heart skipped a beat. “I… is this what you were dealing with last night?” she asked and the blonde averted his eyes for a moment. “My God, baby, how did you deal with it? I found him imposing the first time I saw him, but this is entirely different.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what’s wrong, but I’ve got to try and see if I can talk him back down. I managed to do it last night, but I guess he still has something he needs to work out,” Cloud said, though he didn’t really have much faith in the words. Sephiroth didn’t seem like he was trying to work something out, more like he had made a decision and was doing something. And whatever it was seemed foreboding. Clearly, he wasn’t upset and almost seemed like he was playing with Cloud. It was more like there was something else wrong, like… did Sephiroth have a personality disorder of some kind? It was almost like the man walking away from them was not really Sephiroth, but another person entirely. Finally, Claudia allowed Cloud’s arm from her shoulder and released her hold on his side, pulling the blonde from his thoughts.

“Please, baby, I… maybe I should come with you,” his mom suggested and Cloud shook his head as he looked back at her, straightening his back as best he could.

“No, I need to do this alone. I think if someone else is there, Sephiroth won’t open up to me,” Cloud said. After a hesitant second Claudia nodded and pulled something out of her beige jacket pocket. A small box with a curved incense stick sticking out from it.

“Here, burn this to keep the monsters away,” Ms. Strife said as she handed it out to the blonde who accepted it into his hands before his mom produced a lighter and lit the end until smoke began to billow from the orange tip. “Please come home safe, baby. I’ll send Dan and Erik up there if you’re not back by morning,” Claudia informed and Cloud nodded as the lighter was put away before his face was cupped and he was made to look directly into his mom’s eyes.

“You are my baby. I care more about you than Sephiroth. I know that sounds callous, but I want you to prioritize your safety over him, understand?” Cloud’s brow wrinkled in upset as his lips dipped down into a frown. After a brief stare down she released her son’s face and stepped back. “I’m going to wait here, honey, however long it takes,” she said. With a glance at his mom, the blonde picked up his feet and started walking, unsteady, but faster than the last time he’d trekked long distance with his hands cupped together to hold the monster repellent incense.

~~~

The path up to the reactor was littered with the dead bodies of monsters that no doubt attacked Sephiroth and had lost their lives as a result. Cloud followed the bloody carnage, the well of dread in him digging deeper as he found himself directed to a detour away from the old bridge that stretched across the chasm that made avoiding the arduous climb of Mt. Nibel easy. Not sure why Sephiroth would take such a long way around Cloud walked, only briefly wondering if he should have taken the shortcut. But the idea of running into Sephiroth on the path forward kept his feet going on the detour path. It was eerily quiet. No sound at all, only the soft rustle of wind in his ears and the sound of his shoes on the earth. Cloud only paused briefly in wonder of the natural mako crystal formation, focusing instead on his goal. More than once did the blonde have to sit and rest, his legs felt like jello and he was sweaty despite the chilly mountain air. Normally such a walk would have been easy, but Cloud was far from the strapping guy he’d been before getting sick.

It took far too long; like it dragged on for hours, and maybe it did, but eventually, he reached his destination. Inside the reactor the blonde looked up the center rampart through rows of pods and saw an open door. Looking at it, Cloud’s heart dropped into his stomach. Above it in glaring letters read the name Jenova. The name pressed into his mind in familiarity, like he’d heard the combination of syllables and vowels before. But try as he might, Cloud couldn’t quite think of any time at all where he’d heard it. Placing the incense down by the stairs the blonde drew up them, heart thudding harder in his ears with every step. Luckily, the steps were more shallow, which made it easier to climb up them without having to use the rail to pull himself. It felt like the blonde was growing stronger with every step he took the past 24 hours. It was almost otherworldly when the notion hit, but Cloud pushed the thought aside as he made it to the top and cautiously stepped in through the doorway, doing his best to be prepared for whatever he found.

“He’s finally here, mother.” Cloud stiffened as he stepped into the reactor core and spied standing on a large pipe, Sephiroth. Before him was some sort of metallic sculpture of a female body with long wings made of tubes and cables spread out covering the corner of the chamber. The blonde’s heart stuttered and his throat tightened as he stared, bewildered up at the back of his bond. The silverette spread his arms out, gesturing.

“See?” Sephiroth said before chuckling. Biting back an eerie chill Cloud parted his lips.

“Sephiroth!” the blonde called but was ignored.

“Yes, of course,” the silverette said, talking to himself. Cloud took in a deep breath and released it through his nose.

“Sephiroth! We need to go back home!” the blonde called, interrupting his mate’s one-sided conversation.

“Cloud, be good and be quiet,” Sephiroth stated in a flat, admonishing tone and Cloud straightened his shoulders and took a step forward.

“You-”

“Human vermin like you will not order me around, you understand?” Sephiroth cut in, his words a little sharper, but still calm. Cloud bit on the inside of his upper lip for a second. Okay, he needed to think. This was worse than the mansion, he was actually talking to a sculpture. Why the fuck there was an art project in a reactor core Cloud had no idea. But clearly, Sephiroth’s mental state had deteriorated. And then anxiety punched the blonde in the gut. Wait, what if… what if his mate, what if he really did have a mental disorder? Cloud knew barely anything about such things, but he wondered then if maybe his mate had been on a medication he had not known about. What if in being away from his doctor, the silverette had stopped taking something he needed to?

“Sephiroth, you really need to calm down, please. Come back home with me. We can find a doctor if you need one,” Cloud pleaded and a chuckle issued from Sephiroth before he burst into loud cackles that made the blonde’s skin prickle.

“Oh, yes! The pills for my so-called Bond Break?! Hah! Turns out I didn’t need that, now did I?” Sephiroth shouted, laughter shaping the sound of his words as he calmed down. Sephiroth turned on his heel then, finally facing Cloud, and the blonde froze; there was a wild, untamed look in his mate’s eyes. They gleamed bright, almost glowed with something more than just mako. His eyes were wide, pupils small narrow slits, and somehow, the way Sephiroth’s brows hiked up his forehead only increased the distressing look. It was then, that Cloud realized what it was like to look at someone who was out of their mind. The curve of Sephiroth’s lips grew, jubilant, but cruel as he stepped across the piping and back to the safety of the platform. Cloud felt himself twitch, wanting to step back when the silverette walked toward him, wide, crazed eyes focused right on his face, into his eyes. But Cloud steeled himself, fighting a quivering in his muscles when his mate stopped in front of him and grabbed his chin, forcing his face up higher until their eyes bore into one another. The blonde’s face was then turned from side to side as his bond inspected him before the fingers left his chin, and to Cloud’s surprise, his cheek was lightly slapped, making his eyelids flutter in surprise.

“Hm, you do seem real,” Sephiroth declared, voice disturbingly jovial; like he found the entire situation hilarious as he stepped back. “You certainly felt real when I shoved my cock in you last night too,” the silverette said with a crude chuckle and the blonde felt his face burn even as his heart raced. Okay, things went sideways fast. Sephiroth then looked back toward the sculpture and gestured out toward it with his hand.

“We will finally meet my mother, Cloud. You have no idea how long I’ve longed to see her,” the silverette said as he walked away from the blonde and back up the pipe toward the discomforting sculpture. After only a short moment, Sephiroth’s hands came forward, grabbed the sides of the art piece and began to pull. The blonde watched with round eyes as sparks flew from cables that wobbled loose and ripped away while the creaking and cracking of metal filled the air. Terror filled Cloud as he took a step toward his mate, hand extended in concern for his injury as the statue tipped to the side. Strange dark fluid poured from the eyes and mouth of the sculpture as it leaned before finally, it snapped apart and was tossed to the side off the platform like it was trash. An intake of breath caught in Cloud’s chest when he beheld a pod housing a humanoid figure. It was a female body with bluish-white flesh, heavily scarred, and long silvery hair, exactly like Sephiroth’s. In fact, it was clear as day that there was a relation between them. Horror bloomed in the blonde’s chest. Sephiroth may have been right.

“Hello, mother,” his mate greeted as one hand reached up and touched the glass of bubbling fluid. “I know,” he said after a few seconds, nodding his head to something Cloud hadn’t heard. “You should have ruled this planet. But those inferior dullards stole it from you,” he paused and then nodded. “Yes, mother. We’ll go to the promised land together. Yes... My mate is very special. A late bloomer, and though it’s hard to tell, he’s actually quite unusual for an omega... Yes.” Cloud’s chest locked tight as his blood ran cold. He had to stop this. The blonde didn’t understand what exactly that thing in the pod was, but Sephiroth was clearly having a conversation with a dead body. It was dead, right?

“I’ll get rid of all the humans, yes.” The statement made every muscle fiber in Cloud’s body tense and his heart skipped a beat. What? Surely he hadn’t heard that right.

“I’ll start with Nibelheim,” Sephiroth informed and horror filled every space inside the blonde. His heart raced and heat rushed all through his body. This had to stop!

“Sephiroth!” Cloud called, which drew his mate’s eyes back to him.

“Not now, Cloud. Don’t interrupt our reunion,” Sephiroth admonished softly.

“You can’t do what you’re saying!” the blonde cried, and after a second, the silverette turned toward him fully, face stony.

“I can do what I want. No one can stop me, not even you,” Sephiroth asserted as he came back down the pipe and onto the platform before stopping and staring, almost looking curious at his mate.

“There are innocent people in Nibelheim! My mom too!” Cloud cried, realizing with each second that ticked by that he might very well be the only one who could protect them.

“So?” Sephiroth asked as he cocked his head to the side. Cloud couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Don’t forget Cloud, if you weren’t my bond, you’d be joining them,” the silverette informed and the blonde almost felt his world slant. Fuck. This was bad, and getting worse with each second that ticked by.

“Sephiroth, you’re not that kind of guy,” Cloud said, though his voice wasn’t as firm as he’d have liked it to be.

“Oh? And how do you know I’m not? Can you read my mind?” Sephiroth asked as he tapped his skull with the index finger of his right hand before he took a few steps closer. In a snap decision Cloud grabbed the ribbed collar of his jacket and pulled it down, exposing his old mark to Sephiroth. It worked last time, maybe it’d work again. In fact, to enhance his chances, Cloud cringed in pain when he tore the new patch off and exposed his new mark. If his mom was right, it should be just as strong as his first one. Angry red and horrible bruising lined his throat where the flat of Sephiroth’s teeth had snapped hard onto his skin, but the puncture marks visible from his angle were glaring. There was a long, tense pause before a chuckle came from his mate.

“You think that will work a second time? You really like using sex as a weapon, don’t you?” Sephiroth asked and a rush of anger filled Cloud’s chest before he ran up to Sephiroth, almost stumbling. Surprisingly, the silverette took steps back until he hit the railing, dropping of all things, Masamune to the floor grating. With nowhere to go, the silverette stilled when Cloud stood so close they could have almost touched chests with his head bent back and to the side to expose the brand new mark he’d been given.

“Why did you run then?” Cloud asked, voice hard, huffing. He was starting to wear under all the stress physically and mentally. Sephiroth was still, and when Cloud slid his gaze sideways to his mate’s face to find his eyes focusing on the new mark; very intent on it. Looked like Sephiroth had been bluffing. Cloud allowed his eyes to refocus on the rail in front of him when a finger touched the new mark and Cloud flinched just slightly, the flesh was so tender. Breath fanned his neck and goosebumps ran down the blonde’s spine. It was working. And then the breath was suddenly gone.

“Yes, mother,” Sephiroth said before an arm raised between him and Cloud blinked as he righted his head and looked down, watching as he was gently pushed away. The silverette disregarded him then before he walked back up the pipe, and anger rushed hot through the blonde’s veins. At the pod again, Sephiroth turned toward Cloud, smirking as he threw his arm out, and to the blonde’s astonishment one long, elegant black wing spread out far from the right side of his backside. Cloud’s mouth fell open as his eyes rounded while he stared. How? The silverette chuckled.

“We three will go to the promised land; and then that slutty body of yours can get its fill,” Sephiroth declared and anger pulsed hot through Cloud’s heart as he glared, offended at the remark, and rapidly growing angrier at the only thing he could think of to be angry at- Jenova. Whatever the hell that _thing_ was in that pod. Somehow, it was all that thing’s fault. All this had started after Sephiroth had come here, right? The silverette turned away again and pressed his hands to the pod.

“Mother.”

Cloud knelt down, not trusting himself to keep balance, and stood up with an iconic, long blade in his hands. Masamune was heavy in his weak grip and his arms shook with the strain to heft it up. That thing needed to be stopped. If there really was some bizarre power it had, and perhaps that unnerving eye was proof, it had to be stopped. Cloud aligned his arms and tightened his muscles as much as he could to keep the blade from swinging before he ran, though he almost stumbled, up the pipe, and thrust the long blade past Sephiroth to stab the thing in the pod. If it was somehow alive in that pod, it had to die. His clumsy, loud feet alerted the silverette who spun around defensively, and the blade sliced through his belly.

A horrific scream ripped from Cloud’s throat in shock as adrenaline rushed through his body when Sephiroth’s eyes shot up to look at him, wide as saucers in shock. Panic struck hard and Cloud sucked in a shrill gasp when the silverette hunched over, pain twisting his face. Another surge of adrenaline blasted the blonde’s heart when Sephiroth’s shaking gloved hands reached for the blade while a ragged breath passed his mate’s parted lips. Hot pressure built up behind Cloud’s eyes when his grip twitched, causing the sword to tilt down a little. A grunt passed from Sephiroth when he slumped and the blonde gasped as he engaged his weak, pathetic muscles again to hold the blade level and still. Oh, God, what had he done?

“Y-you,” Sephiroth said, voice breathy and shaking hard with strain and Cloud whimpered as his vision blurred. His lips trembled, the impulse to cry out for his mate building within him; but the blonde feared he would drop the silverette if he did. But he couldn’t leave Sephiroth there. What was he going to do? Cloud had to move him, but he couldn’t approach him; he could tell if he let go Sephiroth was going to fall. Unable to stop it, a sob wrangled free from the blonde’s throat, face twisted in pain as water spilled down his flushed face. There was only one way to move the silverette and the idea was horrifying. Cloud spread his legs shoulder length apart, bent them, and straightened his back as he worked to pull the muscles in his shoulders and arms to move, to lift. He was not going to let him drop. He was not going to let Sephiroth go!

Sephiroth gasped in pain, the sound cutting into a grunt as both his hands grabbed the blade, causing rivulets of blood to run down its glistening surface when his gloves were cut through to his flesh. Cloud couldn’t draw this out. The blonde gathered every ounce, every minuscule bit of strength he had and slid the silverette left toward the platform. The blonde tried to keep it steady and smooth, but when he turned too far his foot slipped and a gasp scraped against his throat when he slipped and Sephiroth was flung off of the blade. Both fell at the same time, Cloud slamming onto his chest on the pipe before scrambling to grab it while Sephiroth fell into the safety of the platform. Spotting Sephiroth on his side, curled over in pain, the blonde scrambled up, ignoring the intense burn of pain that had reared up as sobs openly broke from his lips while he stumbled, knees buckling until he slid on them to his mate’s side.

“Oh, God!” Cloud blubbered, face already swollen and red as water poured down his cheeks. His body shook hard as he fell onto his hand and touched Sephiroth, hands running over his shoulder to his side. “I’m so sorry!” he sobbed, voice twisting and growing sharp as he struggled to breathe through his stuffy nose. “I never wanted to hurt you. No, no, not you,” Cloud sobbed, words running together in his panicked, gasping sobs. Sephiroth groaned in pain as the blonde pushed him to slowly roll over. He needed to see it, to see his bond’s face. When the silverette rolled over, all Cloud could see were the creases of pain twisting his regal face. One hand was pressed over his stomach, and though the black obscured most of the color, Cloud could see the red smearing his ribs from his hand and the metal grate they were on.

Cloud’s mind raced in panic. He needed to stop the bleeding. But he didn’t have anything. No materia, no potions. Nothing to sew it closed. The only thing the blonde could think of was to go back to Nibelheim. Someone there could save Sephiroth. The blonde scrambled on his hands and knees and grabbed Masamune, found where he threw the sheath and slid it inside. Hurrying back to Sephiroth, Cloud did his best to control his sobs as he grabbed the silverette’s arm and struggled to get the limp limb to stay over his shoulders.

“Come on, Sephiroth! We need to get help!” Cloud begged and only heard a groan of pain as his response. The blonde took a breath and grabbed all the force of will he had. Using Masamune as a crutch, he grabbed Sephiroth’s hand, pulled his arm around his shoulders and pulled the man onto his back. More groans and hisses of pain met his ears and the blonde did his best not to think about what all the movement was doing to that stab wound.

“We’re going to get you help, Sephiroth. Just stay awake, okay?” Cloud said, voice resolute. “Someone can heal you back in town,” the blonde added, and as if the words had sunk in, the silverette’s knees shook as he lifted them. After some foot slipping, Sephiroth was able to get onto his feet, which enabled Cloud to shoulder his weight easier while he lifted up using Masamune until he was standing with Sephiroth hanging off his back.

“We need to walk, okay?” Cloud said and all he heard was a puff of pain as the hand Sephiroth held over his stomach shook. Despite not hearing anything more than a groan, the blonde took a tentative step forward and found the silverette staggering after him, feet clumsy as he leaned heavily against Cloud’s slender frame. The increased weight almost made the blonde’s knees buckle, but he took a breath, gathered his waning strength and continued forward. He could not falter. He had to move, no matter how much his body burned, no matter how much exhaustion threatened zap all that he had left, he had to move.

The walk was even harder than Cloud had experienced on the way up. Sephiroth only seemed to get heavier each second that trudged by and the blonde’s muscles burned like they were on fire. Cloud lumbered forward, almost stumbling despite Sephiroth’s cooperation, which was quite a surprise. Perhaps the silverette was disoriented from the shock of his injury. It was almost like playtime had been cut short when Sephiroth had gotten hurt and now they were friends again, though Cloud knew it wasn’t anything as childish as that. Maybe the shock had sobered up his mind a bit, brought him back to reality? It was all guesses, but pondering them kept the blonde’s mind busy, distracting him from the strain in his weakened body. At some point down the mountain Cloud stumbled, feet too heavy and muscles too tired and the two hit the ground hard. The blonde barely registered the blast of pain to his face and nose when he scrambled to his hands and knees upon the loud, pained grunt from Sephiroth who rolled onto his back, still clutching his stomach. The blonde crawled quickly over toward the and silverette leaned over him, cupping his bond’s face.

The silverette’s eyelids fluttered and his gaze was having difficulty focusing. A deep fear reached up from somewhere within Cloud and he felt another sob. He wasn’t strong enough to get him back in time. It was all his fault. He was the one killing Sephiroth. His mate panted, swallowed, lifted his head slightly and then collapsed, his neck not strong enough to support its burden. Seeing such a simple action struck Cloud with intimate familiarity. The blonde had not forgotten how hard he had tried to move, how much he couldn’t, and how Sephiroth had always been the one to hold him, position him, help him until he was where he was now. It wasn’t the time to sit around and wail like a baby. Taking a deep breath and steeling his spine again Cloud crawled over, grabbed Masamune from where it had fallen, rolled Sephiroth over with a whispered apology when the man groaned, pulled his arm over his shoulders, and struggled them to their feet. Luckily, despite the weakness taking over his mate’s body, the silverette was still able to stumble to his feet and walk with Cloud, even if his steps were becoming clumsier.

The blonde struggled down the mountain once again, relying on the strength of Masamune’s spine more and more. At some point, Cloud realized that without the blade he would have probably collapsed and not been able to continue with Sephiroth on him, especially as the silverette sagged and began to drag his feet more. He needed to get back to town soon, time was running out. Cloud came to the bridge and joy filled his heart. They were so close! But as he neared it a horrific sight greeted his eyes. Bathed in the light of the rising sun the blonde could see clear as day that the bridge was out. A heavy pain settled into the blonde’s stomach as his heart twisted viciously in his chest. That was why Sephiroth had led him down the long way. The silverette had known the bridge was out. But because of that, Cloud hadn’t. Frustration roared all through his body and the blonde screamed in anger, in resentment of the world, in hatred at everything. It was like the entire planet was conspiring against him. Was he not allowed to be happy? Were he and Sephiroth meant to just end? Tears ran down Cloud’s face and he sniffled as he turned and walked toward a side of the mountain lining the road up and slowly put his beloved to rest against it. He wanted to curl up there in Sephiroth’s lap. To be held in his arms. But Sephiroth’s arms were limp at his sides, palms up as his head lulled to the side.

“It’s all my fault,” Cloud whispered, voice going high in pitch while his hand rubbed over his lips. The blonde sniffled hard. His eyes felt like they were going to explode, his throat like it was going to close shut and never open again. “I’m so sorry,” Cloud sobbed. Sephiroth was going to bleed out and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He glanced at Masamune where he’d laid it by his mate and felt a spark of resolve.

“If you’re going to die, then I’ll go too,” Cloud informed. His eyes slid to the silverette again before he sat down and leaned against his mate, hearing a tired moan from the man. The blonde wished he’d had materia. Maybe then things wouldn’t be over. It was a weight too heavy, too hard to bear. It was over, all of it. Nothing mattered in that moment. Not Sephiroth’s insane ramblings, not what Hojo did to him. And then Cloud jerked, heart jumped hard in his chest when he had an epiphany. Excited, Cloud jammed his hands into the silverette’s coat pockets. Sephiroth was a SOLDIER, he not only worked with, he practically lived with materia. The blonde’s fingers grazed the smooth rounded surface of an orb and Cloud gleefully pulled it out. It was red. Anger swelled in the blonde and he almost thought to chuck it. In the silverette’s other pocket he only found a compound materia and glared at it too. Searching through Sephiroth’s clothes, which kept the man awake as he groaned and sighed sluggishly against Cloud while he patted him down. But it was all for naught. The blonde sank down on his knees, almost doubling over in heartbreak. And then another idea came to Cloud. On his knees straddling Sephiroth’s straightened legs, he grabbed his mate’s shoulders and gently shook him. A confused, pained grunt passed Sephiroth’s lips as his eyes fluttered open, struggling to focus before finally, his head lifted up and their eyes met.

“Sephiroth, you have to have a restore materia somewhere. Where is it?” Cloud asked. He’d run, he’d run no matter what his body wanted to do. He’d run as hard and fast as he could, he’d get the damned materia and return. Restore wouldn’t be enough to really save Sephiroth, but it’d at least keep him alive until someone could save him. Sephiroth’s arm moved, shaking and oddly loose as he tried to reach into the pocket Cloud had already checked, head lulling.

“It’s in-where are we?” Sephiroth asked, confused as he lifted his head slowly and looked around them. The blonde shook him again, still ever so gently, wanting him to focus.

“Where is your restore materia?” Cloud asked again, voice hurried and hard. A pained breath passed Sephiroth’s lips as he looked down while his brow pinched.

“I left it at the house with your mother,” Sephiroth answered, words a labored sigh. Then he looked up and the silverette stared at him for a moment, in a stupor.

“Cloud? Why are you outside?” The question was a slap in the face. Cloud stared, flabbergasted. Sephiroth shuddered and groaned as his right hand touched his stomach. “I-what happened to me?” he asked, voice tense with pain. Oh, Gaia, how cruel could it be?

“You’re hurt really bad, Seph,” Cloud said, intentionally using the nickname he’d adopted during his recovery. “But the bridge is out. So I need to leave you here so that I can get the restore materia,” the blonde explained as Sephiroth pulled his coat open to examine his stomach, releasing a hiss of pain as he did so. Fear filled Cloud then as he watched the silverette before the man looked up at him. Then he glanced toward the bridge.

“It collapsed on my way up,” Sephiroth muttered, a sound of confusion in his voice. Cloud shook himself of his inner gawk. He had to ignore the bizarre turn of events. He had to get to NIbelheim, to the house. The blonde didn’t know why Sephiroth was suddenly confused, but he could worry about that later, when his mate was safe. He stood when Sephiroth’s hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him from walking away.

“I have to go! You don’t have a lot of time, Sephiroth!” the blonde shouted. The silverette swayed and Cloud cried out in shock when the man staggered up to his feet, doubling over with his hand to his stomach as he looked down at the blonde.

“It’ll take too long,” Sephiroth said, and the blonde could do nothing but stare, in a daze when that one long, ominous, but incredibly beautiful black wing spread out into the air. The silverette heaved, sweat running down his face.

“It’ll be faster if we go across,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud shook his head.

“No, you’re too hurt,” the blonde argued. Though it was hard to imagine his mate could fly with only one wing, and with him it sounded like from the suggestion, he was in no such shape. And then, his mate smiled at him, and it was… so warm, so familiar, it was everything it was supposed to be. Only then did the blonde realize that what he had seen the last twenty-four hours had been a pale imitation, an imitation he was ashamed to have fallen for. The person in front of him was the real Sephiroth. His Sephiroth.

“I can do it. I can carry you across. Though I don’t know how well I can land like this,” the silverette explained. Water filled the blonde’s eyes and he had to swallow back another sob in his throat. He was the one holding up Sephiroth’s potential rescue now. With a nod, Cloud picked up Masamune from the ground by the silverette’s feet.

As soon as the blonde turned around one powerful arm wrapped around his waist and hoisted up against a strong, even if slightly bent side. Without a word, the loud, hard flap of a wing filled the air and Cloud’s eyes went wide when his stomach dropped out from under him and he squeaked in pure, primal fear. Anxiety rocked all through the blonde’s heart as he slapped his eyes shut and grabbed Masamune so tight it might have cracked in his grip. There was a sudden drop and Cloud almost screamed, but the sound of a loud, pained grunt from Sephiroth stalled his voice before they were moving again, at least the blonde was pretty sure they were. And not even a minute later, the blonde felt his entire world pitch when his body hit painfully hard into the earth. Gasping, Cloud’s eyes snapped open before he bolted upright, and looked around to see Sephiroth collapsed on his chest on the ground with his wing limp at his side. The blonde crawled quickly to his mate. Hearing the silverette groan was a good sign, and Cloud took it as encouragement as he helped Sephiroth roll over onto his back.

“Sephiroth!” the blonde gasped, and the silverette’s face tensed in pain before he smiled.

“I don’t know how I knew how to do that,” Sephiroth informed with a laugh before he tensed and grunted in pain.

“Cloud!” the blonde gasped at the cry of his mother’s voice followed by the sounds of feet, lots of feet, running up toward them. Twisting his head blessed Cloud with the sight of his mom running toward him with Dan and Erik, and a couple of other locals the blonde recognized; Jared from the General Store with Molly his wife. Cloud turned toward them and stood up before his knees buckled out from under him and he hit the ground on his ass, dazed.

“Oh, my baby!” Claudia cried when she reached them and a hurricane of voices shouted and chatted all around them, loud and grave.

“Sephiroth’s hurt,” Cloud said, but his voice was lost in all the volume. The three men were at Sephiroth already, and it seemed that his words weren’t needed as they knelt down around the silverette. Cloud worked to turn himself around before all his strength left him and watched as he felt his mother’s arms wrap around his shoulders from behind. The men pulled Sephiroth’s coat from his front and gasped at the wound before materia was produced. All the strength, all the energy, whatever it was that had been holding Cloud up zapped out of him and he sagged against his mom, boneless.

“Oh, honey, I’m so happy you two are going to be safe,” Claudia said as she gently rocked her son from side to side. Yes. They were safe. It was finally over. Amidst the crowding of bodies around him Sephiroth’s eyes slid between them and met his mate’s. Though exhausted in expression, the silverette smiled, the curve lazy. Pressure built up rapidly in Cloud’s chest as his eyes swelled with heat. His bottom lips quivered and before he could stop it, a soft sob broke from his lips before the water started to trickle down his cheeks. It was finally over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a doozy. And can we all agree that Cloud is allowed to bawl his eyes out after all that?
> 
> *Answer to the question I asked last time for funsies because it really doesn't matter: doog fo hcuot htorihpeS live
> 
> That was kinda a brain twister there. lol


	31. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud must help Sephiroth keep himself together one careful word at a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope everyone has been having a good day! And thank you to everyone who has been commenting (I always respond), kudos, bookmarking, and subscribing! Thank all you so much for always reading! I really appreciate all the support!
> 
> I hope I handled the contents of this chapter well.
> 
> And a shout out to my wonderful beta [Mr. Shimada ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_Shimada/pseuds/Mr_Shimada)for straightening out this chapter and making it run smoothly and pointing out confusing sequences.
> 
> I hope everyone who reads enjoys this chapter!

“Alright, nice and easy,” Dan grunted as he and Erik carefully carried Sephiroth horizontally between the two of them by his shoulders and ankles towards the couch. Carefully the two burly men moved as they bent their knees and carefully laid the silverette down onto the couch, his long wing coming to rest on the floor off the side of the cushions. Carefully the men avoided the feathered limb as they backed away when the silverette released a relieved sigh. Cloud was not far behind, held up on his mom’s shoulders with the new addition of Tifa at his back, hands on his sides to keep him steady.

“Okay, honey, here you go,” Claudia said as she turned Cloud and let her helper ease the blonde onto the couch by his mate’s legs. The blonde hunched forward, so tired he could barely see straight, his vision even swayed as he moved his head to look up at his mate, who was resting with his eyes closed and face lax. Without a word, without caring for anyone that saw, the blonde crawled up over Sephiroth and laid his freshly healed head down on Sephiroth’s chest, only moving when the silverette shifted his legs enough to let one of Cloud’s knees drop between his own with the other on the outside of his body.

“Oh, well, those boys are so tired,” Ms. Strife said, voice directed to Tifa.

“I missed so much, but I’m glad that they’re both okay now, right?” the young woman asked, her voice drifting quietly into the blonde’s buzzing head that was rapidly losing the ability to listen or think.

“Oh, yes,” his mother’s voice drifted out; and without a care, Cloud just let it all go, and drifted into sleep.

When Cloud woke, it was to the sensation of circular rubs on his back. Groggy and tingling all over, the blonde lifted his head, struggling to engage his sleepy muscles. But when he did, he was met with the face of Sephiroth, very tired judging by the weariness in his face, but content from the soft smile on his lips. The blonde’s heart raced, gripped by irrational fear.

“Sephiroth?” Cloud asked.

“Hm?” the silverette hummed as the blonde sat up, one hand on the back of the couch to steady himself as his mate’s hand fell from his back.

“You feeling okay?” Cloud asked and Sephiroth touched his stomach.

“I think so. I haven’t tried to move yet,” the silverette answered and the blonde frowned.

“Anything else?” he pressed and Sephiroth quirked a brow at his mate’s expression.

“What do you mean?” the silverette asked, confused.

“About, you know, what happened yesterday?” Cloud asked. Sephiroth was quiet a moment, appearing to think on his answer.

“I’m not sure. What happened yesterday?” the silverette asked. Concern spread through the blonde as he leaned forward and put his hands on either side of Sephiroth’s head. Tension came to his mate’s brow. “I,” he paused, voice drifting softly in thought, “I can’t remember anything past,” his voice trailed off. “Oh, that’s strange,” Sephiroth said as he suddenly moved to sit up and Cloud struggled to move back before the small was his back was braced with a gloved hand while the silverette sat up, the confusion in his face increasing. Sephiroth stared off to the side for a moment, lips pursed in thought before he looked to Cloud.

“I can’t remember. I remember going up to the reactor,” the silverette explained before his gaze drifted again in thought. “The monsters weren’t that much of a problem. Your friend was with me. Oh, the bridge it out, though you know that already,” Sephiroth muttered. He looked back at his mate, the hand on the blonde’s lower back pulling him closer as the silverette’s eyes bore hard into his own. “Cloud, I can’t remember,” Sephiroth informed, the concern in his voice strong. Cloud stared for a long moment, unsure if he should reveal anything.

“It’s been days since you went up to the reactor, Sephiroth,” the blonde finally informed and Sephiroth looked at him, perplexed.

“But didn’t we just come down?” his mate asked, touching his stomach before something appeared to catch the corner of his eye. Alarm colored Sephiroth’s features as his face jerked, and something could be heard sliding across the floor. Cloud’s back straightened as anxiety filled his heart when the same large wing from before lifted into the air, its long feathers brushing over the floor and over the coffee table as it stretched out. His mate stared, alarm bleeding into horror before a stuttering breath left his lips. The blonde shot a panicked look to the new appendage before training his gaze on his mate’s face, looking for any sort of information he could find there. Sephiroth was suddenly needing to move, and carefully pushed Cloud off his legs before he stood and reached back to touch where the wing protruded from a tear in his coat.

“Cloud, what happened to me?” Sephiroth asked, panic in his voice. The blonde felt his throat dry and tighten.

“Sephiroth, it’s...it’s okay,” Cloud muttered, but words didn’t quite have the volume to reach his mate’s ears as he twisted, as if somehow he could find it was some sort of prop before directing startled eyes down to the blonde again.

“You need to tell me, Cloud. What happened?” Sephiroth asked, and the blonde pulled his bottom lip between his teeth as he averted his face while his brows drew up in tension.

“Cloud, tell me,” the silverette pressed.

“I,” the blonde paused, “I can’t. Please, Sephiroth, you shouldn’t know, you shouldn’t even think about it,” Cloud informed before he looked back up at his mate. Sephiroth sighed, eyes distracted as he thought. The blonde gasped. “Stop trying to remember!” Cloud ordered and the silverette groaned as he cupped his head, hair falling forward as his face lowered.

“The reactor. Mother? I saw my mother,” Sephiroth muttered and horror gripped the blonde’s heart tight. “That’s right. The books, my research,” his mate gasped before his eyes shot open wide and he stumbled back, falling onto the couch. There was a look on Sephiroth’s face, a look of horror and shock as one of his hands slid down to his stomach and touched it. Pain twisted his brow while his lips dipped down. Cloud leaned forward, barely able to breathe. It was quiet for a long, painful moment before finally, Sephiroth’s lips parted.

“Cloud,” the silverette said, voice soft and unsteady. “I,” his breath hitched, “I know what I am. And I...” his voice died and Sephiroth tensed. Fearful of what the recollection would do to his bond, Cloud inched his way towards the silverette and settled down by him before he cautiously put his hand on Sephiroth’s knee. The silverette lifted his head and their eyes met. It was so strange, seeing Sephiroth so expressive. Never had his mate been so exposed, and it was as unsettling as the thought that somehow that other version of his bond would emerge again. The silverette’s hands moved suddenly and Cloud flinched in surprise when his face was cupped. The silverette stared hard at him for a moment, studying him before the fingers of his left hand sliding down the right side of the blonde’s neck, pausing on the brutal bruise and mark that adorned it. Sephiroth drew in a shaky breath as his eyes focused in on it for a moment before they lifted to Cloud’s uncertain expression.

“I was so awful to you,” Sephiroth stated, a sound of almost what seemed to be awe intertwining in the regret of his tone. “I can’t believe that you’re still here,” he stated and the blonde’s lips twitched into a smile as he lifted his hand and touched his mate’s own over his throat.

“It’s because I love you, Sephiroth. You’re not that bad guy, I know you’re not. I don’t know what happened but, I know that version of you wasn’t real,” Cloud said, voice careful but resolute. Sephiroth was still being himself, even his shock seemed right somehow. Sephiroth’s eyelids fluttered before he leaned down and kissed his mate’s lips before he rest his forehead against the blonde’s, his hair falling forward.

“I-I don’t know what to say,” the silverette muttered and a small laugh left Cloud’s lips.

“How about you just tell me you love me and that we’re leaving today,” the blonde said. Sephiroth blinked.

“Leaving?” the silverette repeated. Cloud gave a solitary nod, rubbing their foreheads together.

“Yeah. I don’t know why, but whatever it is that’s up there,” the blonde paused, collecting himself, “I think, I think you need to physically get away from it. Even if it wasn’t you. You said you experienced emotions that weren’t your own invading you, right? I don’t see why you’d lie about that,” Cloud explained. Taking in a breath and releasing it, Sephiroth gave a nod as his eyes drifted closed.

“I heard something. A voice calling my name. And then I just felt this rise of anger out of nowhere. And then I felt intense hatred. There was no reason for it, but for some reason I just had this idea, this notion that I should hate humans. The material in the books-” Sephiroth cut off with a sharp hiss when he jerked his head away and grabbed it, fingers digging into his scalp as he turned away from the blonde and doubled over.

“Sephiroth!” Cloud gasped. “Don’t let it get it to you!” he cried as Sephiroth stumbled up. Within moments footsteps were rapidly descending the stairs and Claudia was in the room, her expression panicked.

“What’s going on?!” she cried as her son stood and placed his hands on Sephiroth while he stumbled away from him, shaking his hands off.

“I can hear her,” the silverette hissed as he stumbled into the far wall by the front door and pressed his forehead to it, his wing stretching out fiercely before almost bristling, quivering, before a loud groan of pain passed from Sephiroth’s lips. The wing drooped, lifeless to the floor, which Cloud had to walk around and slide his arm beneath to hug his mate.

“Please, Sephiroth. See, we need to get away from here. I think the farther away you get, the better,” Cloud whispered as he glanced up at the back of his mate’s head, which shifted in a nod.

“I-I think you’re right. I-I don’t want to hurt you, or anyone else,” Sephiroth grunted and the blonde pressed his cheek against his mate’s back.

“Cloud?” his mom called, worry in her voice.

“I’m sorry mom. But, we have to go, the sooner the better,” Cloud said.

“Where will you two go?” Claudia asked, her voice growing more tense in her concern.

“I don’t know. We just have to get far away. Far enough away that...” The blonde hesitated, not sure he wanted to voice the sounds to say that name, almost as if verbalizing it would give it power.

“Jenova,” the name passed from Sephiroth’s lips in a sorrowful sigh. Tension wound through the silverette’s back again and Cloud hugged him tighter as the wing started to raise, but then after a second, Sephiroth relaxed. Slowly then, his mate straightened his back and the blonde relaxed himself as he stepped back, ducking beneath the heavy wing as it brushed over his head, heavy enough to flatten his spikes before Sephiroth was facing him again. Cloud looked up at his bond’s face, it was calm, almost stony, but it also almost looked delicate, worn down.

“Oh, it’s so sudden. But, I have no idea what to do for you two,” Claudia said, confusion in her voice that indicated questions she wished to ask, but she did not as she walked over to the refrigerator and opened it while her son turned to watch her.

“Please wait long enough for me to prepare a few meals for you on the road. It’s a long way between Nibelheim and civilization,” Ms. Strife said. Guilt weighed in Cloud’s heart as he watched his mom’s back, but what he wanted didn’t matter. Sephiroth was most important. The blonde looked up over his shoulder at his mate and their eyes met. There was something incredibly delicate in the silverette’s gaze, sorrowful and uncertain. Turning back around, Cloud took Sephiroth’s hand. It was his time to take the lead for once.

“Come on, let’s pack up,” he said, urging Sephiroth to follow after him. Without a word the silverette started to follow when they heard, and most likely Sephiroth felt, his wing drag across the floor. His mate looked down at it, and tension filled his face as he stared down at the new limb, looking at it with a look of disgust.

“Can you pick it up?” Cloud dared to ask, and after giving the blonde a glance, a new sort of look crossed the silverette’s face, a look of effort as his mate rolled his shoulders, clearly not sure how to quite move whatever muscles controlled the wing despite his earlier use of it. The wing raised and folded against his right shoulder with some twitches, and Sephiroth stared at it in contempt before his expression relaxed and turned to Cloud.

“I guess. I don’t know how I knew to fly with it earlier. And it seems that the knowledge has left me,” the silverette explained as he looked back at the plumage over his shoulder, brows drawing down in agitation. “I want to cut it off,” Sephiroth informed with a sharp edge to his otherwise calm voice and Cloud froze while a gasp came from Claudia, drawing both men to look at her as she turned from the counter with a dishrag in her hands.

“Don’t you even dare think about mutilating yourself! Even if it is strange to see a man with a wing, it is clearly a part of your body, and you can’t just go lopping off things you don’t like about yourself!” Cloud sighed and hung his head as he shifted his feet. His mom had gone into mom mode. Sephiroth stared, eyes wide and lips slightly parted in shock from the angry, motherly glare fixed upon him. “Now, I will not hear any more talk about self-mutilation! So, you two, pack up! You will eat some breakfast before you go!” Claudia ordered as she turned back toward the counter and pulled a skillet out of the cupboard by the stove. When the moment was over, Cloud hesitantly peeked his eyes up at Sephiroth, but the man was just staring in shock at Claudia’s turned back.

“Sorry, you activated mom mode,” the blonde informed and slowly the silverette looked down at his mate, still looking a bit flabbergasted.

“I’ve never been so passionately lectured,” Sephiroth informed, awe in his voice. Cloud felt his cheeks warm and he averted his eyes.

“I’m more surprised she yelled at a grown man like that. But uh, I do agree. I mean, it is a part of you, if you cut it off, you’re going to be hurting yourself. So I think it should be left alone, even if how it got there bothers you,” the blonde babbled nervously. “Besides, it’s cool that you can fly with it, and it... it looks cool,” Cloud muttered, regretting each syllable as his embarrassment grew, but he couldn’t quite stop his mouth from moving. The feel of a leather gloved hand on his cheek drew the blonde’s eyes up and his heart almost stopped at the small, tender smile Sephiroth gave him.

“I will try to not hate it,” his mate informed and the blonde’s heart fluttered in his chest as he gave a solitary nod.

“Okay then, I guess,” Cloud turned to look over toward the stairs, “we pack up and eat some breakfast,” he said. Sephiroth nodded. The blonde took his mate’s hand again and the two started towards the stairs. Cloud couldn’t help feeling like a teenager toting Sephiroth upstairs. But he came without resistance, and when his fingers intertwined with the blonde’s own, he felt his face burn. Dammit.


	32. Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Sephiroth have a much needed talk about a couple of things, even if there is far more on their minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope everyone has been having a good day! And thank you to everyone who has been commenting (I always respond), kudos, bookmarking, and subscribing! Thank all you so much for always reading! I really appreciate all the support!
> 
> And a shout out to my wonderful beta [Mr. Shimada ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_Shimada/pseuds/Mr_Shimada)for cathing all my butterfingering across the keyboard.
> 
> I hope everyone who reads enjoys this chapter!
> 
> We're only one more away!

The pair were silent as they made their way upstairs to Cloud’s childhood bedroom. Sephiroth seemed lost in thought and the blonde couldn’t blame him. The silverette went over toward the closet and began to pull out hangers, slow in his movements as tension filled the open space of the room. Cloud turned to the suitcase that had been sitting on his dresser and grabbed it before turning toward his made-up bed and setting it down. The sound of pills rattling caught his attention and curiously he reached into the top pocket. His fingers grazed multiple bottles which he pulled out and examined while a pile of clothes thudded down on the bed. Sephiroth’s name was on them, reminding the blonde of a concern he’d had about his mate’s mental health.

“Oh, you can throw those away,” the silverette’s deep voice announced into the air, drawing mako enhanced blue eyes to his face.

“What are these for?” Cloud asked as tension began to fill him. Sephiroth averted his eyes for a moment, as if uncomfortable with the question before he lifted his face and looked his mate directly in the eyes.

“When you disappeared I was diagnosed with Bond Break. Along with depression and anxiety,” the silverette explained. The blonde’s eyes fell back to the labels on the white-capped, orange bottles.

“You don’t need them?” Cloud asked. Sephiroth walked over to the end of the bed and their eyes met again when the blonde looked back up at him. Carefully, the silverette took the bottles from his mate’s hand and tossed them toward the trashcan by the bed, only one made it in while the other two bounces off the rim or missed.

“No, I don’t. Clearly, I don’t have Bond Break,” Sephiroth informed. Cloud’s eyes drew up in concern and a sigh passed his mate’s lips. “I took them with me because,” he paused, trying to collect his thoughts perhaps, “I didn’t completely trust myself,” the silverette finished.

“What exactly is Bond Break? I haven’t heard it before,” Cloud asked, his voice shaking more in concern than he would have liked. One of his mate’s hands slid back through his silvery hair, tossing some long lengths over his shoulder as he did so.

“It’s a condition that afflicts both omegas and alphas, bonded, alphas and omegas. If one part of a bond dies, it has a psychological effect mirroring trauma. It doesn’t matter how the other half passed, all it takes is a breaking of the bond to cause it, hence its name,” Sephiroth explained as he looked Cloud in the eyes again. “I was prescribed those other two medications at the same time. I took them only when I was under supervision, but as soon as I was discharged I quit, but I couldn’t quite convince myself to just throw them out.” The silverette sat on the end of the bed by the suitcase, face downturned while the blonde took a seat too, watching the man he loved carefully. “Everyone around me kept telling me you were dead. That I had missed the funeral, that you had been buried in Nibelheim. Even Zackary believed you were dead-”

“Wait, I was dead?” Cloud asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Sephiroth answered. “Despite how certain I was that you were alive, there was a small part of me that doubted my instincts. My diagnosis specifically was of Bond Break involving a psychosis that you were still alive,” Sephiroth explained. “So I just, I held onto them just in case.” The silverette looked at his mate and the blonde stared as warm pressure built up behind his eyes. Blinking his eyes rapidly to dry them, Cloud wiped his forearm against his eyes as he nodded. When the blonde was able to focus, Sephiroth was smiling at him as his hand extended and cupped the side of his head.

“But clearly, my instincts were right. I'm not even sure those pills were anything more than placebos. Otherwise, this has been one hell of a delusion and I might not be alive,” the silverette informed and a small smile twitched Cloud’s lips.

“Don’t say that. We’re both alive. You worked hard and were really dedicated to get me here,” the blonde said and the smile on his mate’s lips faltered, dropping into a frown as his eyes looked away before the man stood up and went back to the closet.

“Yes, I did. And for a moment, I was ready to throw it all away,” Sephiroth said, a remorseful bite coming to his words. The blonde stood up then and walked over to the closet before stopping.

“That wasn’t you. I know it’s hard to do, but I think you need to try to not think about it. And when we leave, I think you should leave it all behind, all right here, in this room even,” Cloud said, voice level but careful as he carefully pressed his hand flat to the silverette’s left shoulder blade. Sephiroth turned toward Cloud, arms stretching out before he gently drew his mate’s face to his exposed chest.

“You fought hard to bring me back, Cloud. That, no matter what you tell me, I can never forget,” the silverette said into his mate’s hair before twisting his neck and laying his head down on top of the blonde’s spiked locks. “I hope,” he paused, “I really hope I can stay myself.” A kiss was placed to Cloud’s head then and the blonde felt his cheeks warm before he pulled from Sephiroth’s chest and looked up at him, a small smile on his lips.

“You will, especially once we get away from here. I know it’s just a guess, but I mean, it seemed like you were responding to the thing in the pod, you know? So, maybe if you get further away, you won’t be able to hear that voice anymore,” Cloud explained and the silverette gave a solitary nod as he turned and grabbed another collection of hangers.

“I actually agree. Otherwise, I wouldn’t want to do this so soon. Even though a part of me will probably always worry. But, it’s best to do what we can for the time being. If some distance will quiet her voice, then I will gladly travel it,” Sephiroth explained and the blonde froze as he watched his mate place the clothes onto the bed.

“Do you hear her, now?” Cloud asked.

“Yes, but I can’t understand her. It’s so quiet, like a rapidly spoken whisper. It's,” the silverette paused, “uncomfortable,” Sephiroth answered and a cold chill settled over the blonde, prompting him to rub his arms over the sleeves of the coat he was still wearing. Anxious energy zipped through Cloud then and he turned toward his dresser and pulled it open, looking for the socks he’d left there when he left home. Hopefully, nothing was living in them. Cloud gathered up his socks and grabbed underwear before he turned toward Sephiroth who stood at the closet, back still to him. 

At first he thought he was just standing there, but after a lingering glance the blonde realized the silverette was touching his stomach, pressing down on it. He wanted to ask, but then thought better of it. Perhaps his mate was simply examining where he'd been stabbed. But, there were so many things he wanted to talk about, to ask. However, Cloud was afraid of asking and triggering something or upsetting his mate. And then, almost unbidden, he remembered something said to him in the library. It was an uncomfortable topic, and one that could upset Sephiroth, but Cloud realized he had to ask this one question. Though, if he remembered this, perhaps that version of Sephiroth was just screwing with him. Dropping his load unto the dresser, the blonde ran his hands down the coat he wore.

“Sephiroth?” he asked, prompting the silverette to stop doing whatever he was doing. All Cloud could hope was that his mate wasn’t trying to listen to Jenova. Their eyes met and he ran his hands down the front of the buckled top of the coat before the blonde dropped his eyes to his chest again as he spoke.

“Um, Sephiroth? Um, am I having memory problems?” Cloud asked, hesitant as he carefully lifted his eyes to his mate’s face again. Sephiroth stared at him a moment before he walked the few paces between them and put his hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “Before, even though it was the other you, you said something about my memory. This coat, I don’t remember ever owning it. But other than maybe being a little loose, it seems like it’s the perfect size for me.”

“I-I can’t say,” the silverette said and Cloud’s eyes lowered to their feet for a moment before looking up again.

“What do you mean, you can’t say?” the blonde asked and Sephiroth’s grave expression strengthened.

“I think it’s too soon to say whether you have memory problems or not,” his mate said and Cloud pressed forward.

“So you have thought about it!” Cloud said in a firm voice, brows tightening in anger at what appeared to be an attempt to ignore it. “How come you never mentioned it?”

“Because there just wasn’t ever a proper time. Your mother says she’s noticed some things, but they’ve been minor. You must remember, Cloud, you went through some sort of experimentation with Hojo, that cannot be glossed over. You were also submerged in a pod of mako, which is a thousand times more exposure than any SOLDIER gets, except maybe me. The fact that you’re not only conscious, but almost completely normal, at least as far as we can tell, is a blessing I don’t think we’ll ever be able to really understand,” Sephiroth explained as his right hand came to rest on the blonde’s other shoulder. Cloud grabbed the jacket.

“Where did this come from?” he asked, voice hard.

“It’s yours. You bought it with Zackary the day after you moved in with me,” the silverette answered and a painful punch hit Cloud’s heart as he moved away and sat down on the end of the bed again, brows drawing up tight in dismay before he lifted a hand and rubbed his creased forehead. What did he remember? Cloud could recall Zack’s face, his smile, the way he spoke. Oh, God, he couldn’t remember shopping at all. He recalled he went to train with swords, but even that seemed oddly fuzzy. Sephiroth sat down next to him and the blonde moaned in distress as an arm came around his shoulders and he was pulled against his mate’s chest.

“I can’t remember that,” Cloud muttered as he sank into the silverette.

“Like I said, you’ve been under who knows what sort of stress. And I have no idea how long you were in that pod, pumped full of drugs I’m sure. A year of that and I’m sure anyone would have trouble remembering some things. Tell me, you remember meeting me?” Sephiroth asked. The blonde nodded against his chest.

“You caught me when I escaped from Omega Square,” Cloud answered.

“You remember Omega Square? What happened there?” Sephiroth asked and his mate paused to think about it.

“It sort of all blurs together. I can’t remember anything concrete. I remember Dave, I remember the time they took eggs from me,” Cloud jerked up then, turning a stunned expression toward the silverette.

“They stole eggs! Sephiroth! If,” the blonde took in a breath, “if by some chance I can’t have kids anymore, do you think those eggs would be viable?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Do you want to even risk going back to Midgar? I don’t think I can even go back without being court-martialed,” Sephiroth answered and Cloud frowned before his shoulders sagged in disappointment.

“Do you remember us making love?” the silverette asked, keeping the questionnaire going, if anything to distract his mate.

“Which time? We did it a lot,” Cloud answered, his voice somewhat of a grumble even though he felt his heart flutter and cheeks warm at the topic. A chuckle issued from his mate then.

“You remember going into heat?”

“Uh, yeah, sort of. I mean, it was just a lot of sex,” Cloud answered, feeling his face burn hotter.

“Do you remember the man at the door?” the question jerked the blonde’s face up to his mate’s in wide-eyed confusion.

“What?” he asked.

“There was a man who tried to break into our apartment. You chased him once,” Sephiroth explained and Cloud looked down at his hands in his lap. He couldn’t remember it. His brows tensed up again before his hands rubbed over his face.

“No,” the blonde answered, frustrated.

“It’s alright. I think I’m getting a picture of what you might be having an issue with, though admittedly, I expected you to remember chasing someone,” Sephiroth said and his mate released a frustrated sigh.

“Do you,” the silverette pause, tension coming to his voice, “remember the day you were kidnapped?” the question struck a chord in Cloud as he tried to think back. When had he been kidnapped? How? Wait, no, he went into heat before the sword lessons or after? The blonde froze, face going white as he swallowed, stomach-churning in stress.

“Cloud?”

“I… I don’t think I can remember most of our time together. Not just that day, but most days,” Cloud said, voice shaky with growing unease. The arm wrapped around him again and rubbed his shoulder.

“It’s okay, Cloud,” Sephiroth said softly and the blonde groaned.

“No, it’s not,” Cloud said, a whimper twisting the edges of his voice.

“Yes, I think we can work with this,” the silverette insisted and the blonde turned his stress twisted expression up to his mate.

“How?” he asked, almost begging. If Sephiroth said they could, if he wasn’t dodging it again, maybe he could believe in it.

“It seems that what you’re having trouble recalling are memories that naturally fade over time anyway. The regular humdrum of every day isn’t particularly stimulating, so it all blends together into a boring routine. But you do seem to remember things that left a big impact on you emotionally,” Sephiroth explained. Cloud stared, eyes pleading.

“Really? It’s not going to get worse?” he asked.

“I can’t say that. But I think what you’re experiencing can be expected, and may very well improve. If you want, when we find where we’re going, we can look into visiting a clinic somewhere and have you properly examined,” the silverette suggested and Cloud looked down at his mate’s lap for a second before giving a slow nod.

“Okay,” Cloud verbalized. The hand on his shoulder squeezed him to his mate then and the blonde let himself relax against the silverette. The two settled like that for a long moment until the sound of plates touching a table managed to faintly reach their enhanced hearing.

“We should hurry up,” Sephiroth suggested and Cloud hummed his agreement before the two stood up and finished choosing and packing up clothes.


	33. Moving On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth and Cloud are ready to move on and pursue their future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! It's been a while coming, but this book is at a close. And I want to take a moment to thank everyone for supporting me all through this endeavor. Thank you all so much. And I hope that you will continue to enjoy the next part of this story as it rolls forward.
> 
> Thank you so much to [PhoenixHideki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixHideki/pseuds/PhoenixHideki) for looking this over and spotting all my weird sentences.
> 
> Thank you so much for getting this far! I hope you enjoy this chapter too!

The two were downstairs with two suitcases, one Sephiroth brought from Midgar and the other Cloud’s, which had belonged to his mom until about twenty minutes prior. All three sat at the dinner table, eating the robust three course breakfast prepared for them. On the counter behind them sat a large picnic basket filled no doubt to the brim with food. The blonde had changed his clothes, wearing the charcoal gray t-shirt with the small crossed swords patch in the upper right side of his breast that he had apparently bought in Midgar with the also purchased loose black pants and boots with his jacket topping his simple outfit.

“I hope we can fit everything onto your bike,” Cloud said and his mate nodded as he swallowed the Nibel Wolf from off his fork.

“It’s got lots of storage. I made my choice based upon that,” Sephiroth informed and the blonde nodded, fighting an itch to ask about the bike some more.

“I wish someone would have told me we had a bike days ago,” Cloud said into the air, unable to fight it anymore. Claudia chuckled when she spoke.

“You were in recovery and in no shape to be hobbling out to try and make love to it,” Ms. Strife said, her grin wolfish, which only grew when her son choked on his water. Sephiroth directed his attention to his mate then, curious.

“I did notice a poster and some motorcycle magazines in your room,” the silverette noted with a smile and Cloud felt his cheeks warm as he looked down at his plate and stabbed his fork into his last piece of meat.

“Don’t gotta tease me,” the blonde muttered and his mom laughed softly.

“Oh, but you make it so easy, honey,” Claudia informed and Cloud pouted, made worse when his mate joined in the chuckling.

“He certainly does,” Sephiroth agreed, and for a childish moment the blonde thought about kicking the silverette under the table. After that the trio fell into an easy silence of silverware scraping plates, cups tapping the table, and chewing before they finished and pushed their chairs into the table while Claudia grabbed up the dishes to wash.

Cloud was only too eager to follow Sephiroth between the narrow pathway between houses toward the back of his own. Right against the back of the house and covered in a tarp sat probably the most exciting thing next to swords, or maybe it was more exciting than swords, the blonde honestly wasn’t sure which was more awesome. His mate looked over his shoulder, smiling as he grabbed the tarp and pulled the dusty, dirty tarp away to reveal the shine of the polished black paint matched with glistening chrome.

Unable to stop himself, Cloud walked towards Sephiroth who stepped back, smiling as the blonde ran his left hand over the backrest, across the long stretch of the two person seat, and over the sleek swell of the gas tank to the handlebars. Cloud wrapped his left hand around the textured rubber, feeling the comfortable, strong grip in his palm as he stared down, looking across the dials below the windshield. The blonde crouched and looked over all the beautiful chrome of the working parts of the bike, though they were dirt stained and a bit scratched, but some polish would shine it all up since nothing appeared that deep. A chuckle caught his ear and Cloud stood up and faced Sephiroth, and one look into his mate’s eyes made his heart flutter as he averted his eyes, his cheeks warm again.

“I guess I made a good choice,” the silverette said and Cloud nodded.

“The late model Hardy’s are gorgeous, and they run real smooth, balance well too. This must have cost a pretty gil,” the blonde muttered as he turned around and placed his hand on the gas tank again, this time with his right hand. Sephiroth laughed softly again as he drew up to Cloud until his breath tickled his mate’s ear, making the blonde’s heart thrum in his chest as he jerked his face up and turned for their eyes to meet. Gingerly, the silverette’s gloved hand lifted and touched the blonde’s cheek and Cloud found himself leaning into the touch a little as his eyes drifted closed. A kiss met his lips and the blonde’s heart jumped in his chest before he looked up at his mate again, feeling warmth spreading through his interested dick.

“Why are you getting excited, Cloud?” Sephiroth asked, his smile growing, and Cloud shifted his feet, awkward. “I didn’t know bikes were a sexual stimulant for you,” the silverette teased and the blonde sputtered.

“No! I mean, I like them, but it’s you! You’re oozing sex pheromones right now!” the blonde defended and his mate chuckled. “And you’re so close, touching me. You know what your smell does to me,” Cloud muttered, bashfully looking away a moment, but stopping when the silverette pressed his lips to his again. A rush of adrenaline surged through the blonde as he looked back at his mate, at the cocky smile curving his lips and felt a warm pulse of arousal in his cock.

“You’re not going to get away with teasing me,” Cloud said, working hard to make sure the words came out stronger and more steady than they probably would have normally. He lifted his arms and hooked them around his mate’s neck, delighting in the tickle of the silky feathers across his bare forearm as the silverette’s hands slid around around the blonde’s waist and pulled their bodies flush together. Sephiroth’s head angled down, lips pressing together before they parted and then sealed as tongues met in a warm, slippery greet. A rumbling groan of pleasure vibrated from both as the strong scent of arousal filled the air, radiating off both as Cloud eagerly plastered himself harder against his mate. Sephiroth’s hands slid down the blonde’s ass before giving a squeeze that made Cloud’s cock pulse hotter as it swelled in his pants before those same hands slid to the backs of his thighs and grabbed hold. Excitement boiled hot through the blonde’s rushing blood as he hopped and wrapped his legs around his mate’s waist while he was pulled flush against the silverette which gave Cloud the chance to rub against the bulge he felt in his mate’s leather pants. Both groaned in gratification as Sephiroth stumbled his way around the bike to the wall and pressed the blonde against the surface as their hips ground together harder, more desperate.

Cloud broke lips with a pant and used his position pressed against the wall to slide his hands down to the silverette’s pants and worked them loose before pulling his mate’s engorged cock free and rubbing the wet head, drawing a stuttering moan from the man which only made the blonde’s own dick ache even more. Impatient, Cloud opened his own pants, stuck his hand inside and drew himself out, groaning as he thumbed the head of his cock. Something of a growl filled the air above him before Sephiroth pressed their hips harder together while the blonde struggled to push their pants more out of the way before grabbing both their dicks with his hand. Both shuddered in pleasure with mirrored groans as the silverette’s hips worked against Cloud’s, rubbing their leaking cocks together while the blonde used both hands to fully envelop their pulsing, leaking dick as his mate’s thrusting hips rubbed them together, puffing out moans of pleasure. Pleasure coursed hot all through the blonde, his cock pulsing rapidly in time with his heart as his mate’s thrusts grew faster, harder, chasing the rapid tight, hot build of orgasm.

“It’s going to be messy,” Cloud groaned into a pant, and a moan issued from Sephiroth as his head dipped down, lips touching his mate’s brand new bond mark.

“Yes. And with this here you are more mine than ever,” the silverette growled into a pant. Another hot thrum of pleasure shot through the blonde as he pulled his head back and Sephiroth sealed his lips over the bite, sucking on it. Sharp sparks of pleasure shot into Cloud’s brain and he gasped, pleasure twisting tight, pulsing hot and rapid all through his body, through his swollen balls and dripping cock that was further stimulated by his mate’s rubbing dick.

“Se-Sephiroth!” Cloud gasped, voice slightly shrill in his gasp right as orgasm snapped free, drowning his brain in bursting pleasure, rushing all through his body and exploding from the head of his leaking cock, all over his hands and his mate’s twitching dick. A growl hissed from Sephiroth’s throat as he tore his lips free from his mate’s neck, leaned forward, and captured the blonde’s lips as he tensed, orgasm coursing through him as he shoved himself hard against Cloud, cum shooting up in thick gushes over their already wet, sticky dicks. Tongues slid together, aggressive as the heat of climax shook quivered their muscles while their tongues slowed down and gently slid and curled together as the high of orgasm drained away. The two finally stilled and broke the kiss, breath ragged as Sephiroth buried his face into Cloud’s dually claimed neck while the blonde let his head hit the wall with a soft thunk.

“Cloud, I-” the silverette began to say when both tensed, breaths catching when they heard something- feet crunching across dirt. Panic hit both and Cloud gasped when he immediately tapped his mate’s shoulders while simultaneously being lowered. Both men fumbled with their pants, pausing to grimace at the messes on their hands right when the peppy steps of the approaching intruder turned the corner and Cloud froze, very much like a deer in headlights at the sight of Tifa. The young woman cocked her head curiously at the look and smiled as she walked over toward the two but stayed a respectable distance away.

“Your mom said you were back here. I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” she asked and Cloud felt his face burn before Sephiroth cleared his throat.

“We were getting the bike ready,” the silverette informed, voice almost smooth and perfect. Tifa glanced at the bike and tipped forward on foot towards it with her hands clasped behind her before she straightened up and looked pointedly at Cloud.

“I heard you were leaving today,” the brunette informed and Cloud gave an awkward nod.

“Yeah, we need to,” the blonde answered.

“It’s so sudden, but, I guess, I mean, we’re not kids anymore. And you’re bonded, so, it makes sense that you two would be wanting to start your own life together. I can’t help thinking this has to do with what happened last night though,” Tifa said, doing something Cloud had remembered her doing the entire time he’d known her. She would not outright say she knew something or ask unless there was no way around it. It was such a weird form of trying to get answers from someone; prodding that she was onto something while trying to convince her target to spill the beans on their own. Cloud had always had difficulty in deciding if he thought it was rude or incredibly polite.

“I’m afraid it’s simply time. Cloud has recovered and we feel we should to move on, otherwise we might bring trouble to town,” Sephiroth answered, completely smooth and in control. Tifa appeared to think on the answer for a moment before giving a smile at Cloud.

“Then, can I talk to Cloud for a moment? In private?” Tifa asked as she directed herself to Cloud and clapped her hands together in a pleading gesture.

“I don’t see why not,” Sephiroth answered and the blonde threw a surprised look to his mate before pouting slightly.

“What about the bike?” Cloud asked.

“I can get it ready while you two talk,” the silverette answered and with another pout, Cloud turned from his mate moodily, not happy to have been answered for, and looked at Tifa.

“Okay, we can talk. I need to wash my hands first though,” the blonde informed as he walked up to and then past Tifa, who threw a wave at Sephiroth as she followed after Cloud.

“What were you two doing?” she asked, a teasing tone to her voice that made the blonde only sulk more. What was with everyone having to tease him all the time? Was it really so fun?

“Nothing,” he answered as he rounded to the front of his house, stepped inside where his mom was upstairs it seemed, and washed his hands at the kitchen sink. Briefly, the blonde wondered how Sephiroth was going to clean his hands as he dried his hands off and turned toward his childhood friend.

“What did you want to talk about?” Cloud asked as he leaned back against the sink.

“Well,” Tifa said, voice drifting. “I wanted to ask you how you were doing now? You’re talking and walking so well now,” the brunette said and the blonde quirked a brow at his friend.

“I’m good, I think. My memory is sort of hazy,” Cloud answered, realizing in the nick of time that he should probably not mention mako, Hojo, or anything ShinRa related. Tifa walked over and leaned on the counter next to him.

“Do you think Sephiroth is okay?” she asked. Cloud’s eyes drifted toward the still open front door.

“I think so, why?” he asked.

“Well, I’m just worried. So many weird things have happened around you, Cloud. Of course, weird things have always happened around you,” Tifa said, drawing a quick look from the blonde, but either she didn’t notice or ignored it. “I mean, first we are told you were killed in a monster attack. We even received a body! We had a funeral, Cloud! The whole town mourned! Even the ornery old people who hated that you went off to ShinRa. Then Sephiroth shows up and finds you were in ShinRa Manor! I have no idea how you got mako-poisoning since Sephiroth would never elaborate to me. Not even your mom. And then all those strange things with your bond happened. Oh! Yes, the fact that you bonded is really surprising. I mean, I thought we were both betas, everyone in your family was a beta. Anyway, it’s just,” the young woman paused in thought, “so much has happened, it’s been hard to take it in. And I can’t help but worry that something bad could be following you, you know?” Tifa said, finally looking at Cloud. They stared at one another for a moment before the blonde directed his eyes to his feet and stared in silence. Laying it all out like that, it was definitely crazy. But, it would hopefully be over now.

“Cloud?” Tifa asked.

“I don’t know what to tell you. I get why you’re worried, so much crazy stuff happened. But, I think it’s all over now,” Cloud answered.

“You think so?” she asked and the blonde lifted his head to look up at the rafters above.

“Yeah. We’re going to leave and find some place to settle down. Maybe, if there’s some way, we can have a family. I actually didn’t think I was ready for it, but after everything that’s happened, I think I’m ready to just settle and have kids,” Cloud informed.

“Will I get to hear from you?” Tifa asked as she turned toward the blonde.

“Uh, yeah, I guess we can send postcards,” Cloud answered and was smacked on the arm, jerking his face toward the brunette.

“Letters too!” Tifa chastised. Though the idea of writing out letters wasn’t exactly appealing, the blonde gave a nod. His friend smiled then.

“Good! And if you do have kids, or get married, invite me, okay?” she asked and Cloud frowned, already feeling suffocated. A giggle came from the brunette then.

“I promise I won’t be visiting all the time. Only for the important stuff,” Tifa promised. With a sigh, the blonde nodded as he faced his friend and stood, one hand falling to his hip.

“Okay,” he agreed.

“Oh! And if you ever have any trouble, tell me. You remember your promise too, right?” Tifa asked, and confusion bubbled up in Cloud’s mind, pulling a frown from the brunette.

“Cloud! You promised me! When you left to join ShinRa!” Tifa pressed and the blonde stumbled back a step, hands lifting in a mildly placating gesture.

“Sorry, I just told you my memory was hazy,” Cloud defended. Her lips pursed before Tifa decided to apparently let it drop when she spoke again.

“Well, that promise still stands, so you better remember. In the meantime, if you ever need help, just call on me and I’ll come running, okay? It’s a promise,” Tifa informed and though uncertain, the blonde nodded. The brunette smiled then.

“Good,” she said as she pushed from the counter. “Well, good luck! I’ll bid you farewell here since goodbyes are always hard with you. You better remember all your promises, Cloud, otherwise I’ll have to kick you in the butt next time I see you,” Tifa said as she walked across the main room of the house, waving over her shoulder as she walked out the door and into town. Cloud’s brow drew down as his lips pursed while he crossed his arms over his stomach, unhappy that he had been so thoroughly owned in the conversation. It had always been that way, even when they were kids. Tifa had a knack for always winning word battles with most people, him especially. A few minutes later Sephiroth came into the house, looking in the direction the brunette had walked before fixing Cloud with his gaze and walking over to him.

“You two finish your talk, I presume,” the silverette said and the blonde nodded, relief already filling him just seeing his mate. As Sephiroth walked up Cloud noticed the lack of gloves on his mate’s hands and smirked. Oh, that was cheating.

“The bike is out front now. We just need to load all our stuff on it and say goodbye to your mom and your friend,” the silverette said as the blonde pushed from the counter.

“Don’t need to worry about Tifa, she said her goodbyes,” Cloud informed as his mate looked toward the door before turning his face back forward again. “So we just need to get my mom,” Cloud said as he started towards the stairs, pausing when a hand grabbed his wrist, prompting the blonde to look over his shoulder before his view was crowded by chin while the sensation of soft, warm lips pressed to his forehead. Cloud’s heartbeat rushed for a moment as his mate pulled away, a smirk curving his lips as the blonde’s cheeks warmed, the hair down his arms even standing up as he pulled his face away.

“I love you,” Sephiroth said Cloud’s heart hiccuped in his chest, shoulders twitching as the heat in his face grew.

“Are you teasing me again?” the blonde asked and his mate chuckled.

“You told me to tell you I love you, and so, I have done as you asked,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud grunted, just a tad bit embarrassed that he had been caught so off guard by his own request.

“So, I will load up the suitcases and food. Your mom has been upstairs for a while, it would be good to check on her,” the silverette suggested and the blonde gave a nod as his wrist was released.

“I was doing that before you sneak attacked me,” Cloud grumbled, bashful as he picked up his feet and walked towards the stairs. The blonde ascended a couple steps and looked back to watch his mate grab their suitcases and walk out the front door, lips parting as breath gathered in his lungs. But as soon as Sephiroth’s hair fluttered past the door, his mouth closed and the air released in a sigh before the blonde turned his head forward again and went up the stairs.

The sound of rustling in his mom’s room to the left of the stairs drew Cloud curiously towards the source. Inside his mom’s bedroom sat Claudia, on her knees in front of her closet as she dug through boxes. The blonde stared, there were so many boxes sitting around her, varying in sizes, though none were larger than a shoe box.

“Mom?” he called, and Ms. Strife jerked her face up toward her son and Cloud’s heart skipped a beat at the red, puffy gaze that met his.

“Oh, I didn’t hear you,” Claudia said and the blonde stared, unable to believe that his mom of all people with that superhuman hearing had missed hearing him. His mom wiped her eyes across her forearm before pulling another box out of the closet and opening it up in her lap. Inside were old letters that she closed the lid on and tossed aside.

“What are you looking for, mom?” Cloud asked as he knelt down, his heart twisting when his mom sniffled.

“Well, it just feels so final this time. When you went away to join ShinRa it didn’t feel like I would never see you again. I still felt like you were my little boy. I thought for sure you’d be around on holidays and vacations, you know, like we planned. But this time, you’re leaving to start a new life with Sephiroth, to settle down I assume,” Claudia said as she looked to her son and again though warmth filled his chest with a brief flutter of his heart, Cloud nodded. His mom smiled then, the curve pretty and warm as her eyelashes fluttered against the building tears.

“Right, so I wanted to give you something. It was your father’s, and I had resolved when you were little that I’d give it to you when you married,” Ms. Strife informed as she shuffled on her knees into the closet to reach deeper inside. “I put it in a box to keep it nice and pristine. But, now I can’t find it, it’s been so long.”

“I could help,” Cloud offered as his mom sat back with another box.

“Just a sec, honey,” Claudia said as she pulled the lid off and dropped the lid before she reached inside. The blonde watched, curious as his mom’s fingers hooked under and pulled up a glistening silver chain. Weighted by something heavy the chain dipped until the pendant came up into the air.

“There we go,” his mom said as she set the chain down and picked up something else, a silver ring.

“This was his wedding ring, you know,” Claudia explained as she turned her eyes to her son and smiled. The blonde took in a breath and held it a moment as his heart pulsed harder in his chest. “Hold out your hand,” she ordered and Cloud carefully leaned forward on his knee, hand stretching out, palm up until he was close enough for the band to drop into his palm. The blonde leaned back and took it into his fingers to examine it closely. It was high quality material, had a nice weight to it too. Inside the band it had a microscopic inscription reading: The Wolf Strives. The blonde quirked a brow at the oddly cryptic statement. No ‘love forever’, no date, just… that. Weird.

“You never talk about dad,” Cloud said and Claudia nodded.

“Well, I’ve always had trouble talking about him after he passed. It doesn’t hurt so much anymore, but I miss him so much, and it just… is hard to talk about. He loved you very much though, even though he didn’t get to spend much time with you,” Claudia said as Cloud’s eyes broke from the shiny surface of the band before looking back at it.

“Is there any part of me that’s like him?” the blonde asked and his mom laughed softly.

“When you’re serious. That firm look on your face, especially in your eyes. You look exactly like him when you’re being all serious. It made you look so funny when you were little,” Claudia said and Cloud put the ring down, a pout on his lips as he quirked a brow, unimpressed. His mom laughed a little more.

“But you’ve got my sass,” Claudia assured and the blonde rolled his eyes, prompting more laughter from his mom before she reached down and picked up the chain again.

“You know how you love wolves? Well, your father did too. It was so surprising, since I never told you your father liked them. I guess it made me feel like a piece of him really did live on in you,” his mom said as she offered out the pendant and after hooking the ring on the tip of his index finger, Cloud took the necklace and looked at it. It was sturdy, well made, and the chain wasn’t tarnished, neither was, and the blonde realized why his mom brought up wolves, the wolf head. He looked up at his mom and smiled.

“So, these are for me?” he asked.

“Well, I thought that perhaps you could give one of those two to Sephiroth, you know, something to match. At least, that’s what I thought at the time,” Claudia said and Cloud looked at the items before giving a single nod and turning a small smile up at his mom.

“Is this the ‘blessing’ you were talking about?” the blonde asked as he stood up and his mom followed suit.

“Pretty much!” Claudia said with an adoring smile on her face when she took the few steps over to her son and cupped his face.

“My beautiful boy. I wish I had known that you were an omega, darling. But, it seems that everything is working out now, and I am so happy for you,” his mom said as her hands moved around her son’s neck and pulled him into a hug which Cloud returned.

“Thanks. All this late blooming stuff was tough, but I got really lucky in the end,” the blonde informed and Claudia smiled.

“Oh, yes. Sephiroth certainly is a wonderful mate and caretaker, and my word, the most patient person I have ever seen! I have never met a more diligent man!” his mom said, laughing as she released her son. Awkward and face warm again, Cloud averted his eyes as he slid his hands with his newly gifted items into his pants pockets. His mate had certainly proven himself all right.

“Oh, all right, I’m done embarrassing you,” Claudia declared, making the blonde’s shoulders raise defensively in being called out. “I imagine you two are about ready, let’s go down stairs.” And so Cloud led the way downstairs where Sephiroth stood, arms crossed loosely over his stomach, newly gloved palms holding his elbows as he waited, face turned to the side with a distracted look on his face. When they reached the ground floor the silverette righted his head and smiled at the blonde as he walked over toward the silverette.

“Ready?” Sephiroth asked and Cloud gave a nod. His hands fiddled with the items in his pockets, and already he could feel his mom’s eyes burning holes into his back. The pressure was growing by the second, and it made his face burn hot as he lifted the necklace from his left hand pocket.

“Um, Sephiroth?”

“Hm?” Cloud pulled out the necklace and held it up toward his mate’s chest, though for the life of him, he couldn’t fight the strong magnetic pull that made him turn his face away in embarrassment.

“For you,” he muttered.

“Cloud Strife! Goodness, is that all you can do?!” Claudia chastised lightly and the blonde felt his face absolutely burn even up to his ears as his heart thudded harder in his chest. Sephiroth looked curiously at the chain hanging from his mate’s fingers as he relaxed left arm to his side while his right hand lifted up and caught the pendant between his fingers. Mako green eyes looked up at the blonde’s turned face, noting that a bottom lip had been pulled between his teeth. A smile curved the silverette’s lips as he took the necklace from Cloud, opened the sturdy clasp, brought it around his neck and clasped the chain together. The pendant hung high on his chest and Sephiroth fingered it as he gazed at the stylized wolf head.

“A wolf, hm?” his mate asked and the blonde gave an awkward nod.

“It belonged to my dad. I’ll be wearing this,” Cloud said as he pulled the ring from his right pocket and righted his head, though he kept it down as he slid it over his left ring finger. It was a wedding band after all. Sephiroth’s hand moved and grabbed the blondes and lifted it towards his face to stare at the ring.

“The ring finger, is it?” his mate asked and Cloud fought to keep himself from exploding at the seams. “Silver too. Perhaps I should get a gold one myself,” the silverette suggested and Cloud’s eyes jerked up to his mate’s face before averting again.

“Wh-whatever,” Cloud muttered before heaving a sigh, his right hand pressing to his forehead.

“Mom, I’m never letting you put me on the spot again,” the blonde bemoaned and both his mom and Sephiroth chuckled.

“Oh, it’s over now,” Claudia said dismissively with a smile that could be heard in her voice.

“Well then, shall we go?” his mate asked and Cloud nodded, still unable to look at the no doubt embarrassing expression on the silverette’s face, his voice made it clear enough the wide grin on his lips and the pleased gleam in his eyes. The blonde could almost picture it.

“All right, you two,” Claudia said, drawing her son’s eyes to her face finally as he turned toward her.

“Cloud, you be good and don’t get into trouble,” Ms. Strife informed, and Cloud’s arms crossed moodily over his stomach.

“Why is that your parting statement to me?” the blonde asked and Claudia chuckled.

“Because trouble follows you like a lost puppy,” his mom informed and the blonde’s full, pink lips pursed as his brows drew together and he huffed. Not fair. An arm slid around his waist from behind and the blonde jumped slightly in his surprise as his arms dropped at his sides while he turned around in the silverette’s embrace and finally looked up at his mate’s face.

“I will take good care of Cloud, and I’m sure he will do so for me in kind,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud sighed, it seemed he was going to be red faced until he left home. After that the two walked out the door and to the parked bike. Sephiroth grabbed one helmet sitting on the seat and offered it to Cloud who took it before the silverette turned and grabbed one hanging from the closest handlebar.

“Goodbye, you two!” Claudia said as the blonde pulled his helmet on over his head and buckled it before facing his mom again while Sephiroth mounted the motorcycle.

“Cloud, I want letters from you, you hear! Especially when you find where you’re going!” his mom shouted and the blonde withheld a sigh. So he had two people he had to write letters to in the same town? Maybe he could write to both in the same letter. “And tell me if anything big happens! And I demand to visit on holidays!” Cloud nodded as he turned around, finding his mate looking over his shoulder at him, though the black visor of the helmet made it impossible to actually see his gaze. He looked cool, dressed all in black with the long silvery stream of his hair down his back, even the new addition of the wing folded to his right side somehow made him even better. The blonde swung his leg around the seat and sat down before his arms wrapped around his mate, finding the silverette’s feathered wing not only in his face, but brushing over the right side of his body.

“Goodbye, Cloud! Goodbye, Sephiroth!” Claudia called, a tremor in her voice as Cloud twisted enough to lift his hand from under Sephiroth’s wing and wave.

“Bye, mom! I’ll let you know where we end up!” he promised as the engine roared to life, inducing a powerful shake all through the bike as Cloud lifted his feet and pressed them onto the muffler while Sephiroth also twisted and waved his hand at his mom before he righted himself.

“Ready?” his mate asked loud over the rumble of the engine and the blonde hugged himself tight to the silverette, excitement bubbling up and rushing through his blood.

“Ready,” Cloud affirmed, finding it hard to not twitch in his growing excitement.

“All right, hang on tight,” Sephiroth said.

“Just go!” the blonde shouted, impatient. A chuckle came from his mate then as he tapped the gas, revving the motor and with a twist of the handlebars, the bike began to drift forward before the silverette’s other foot lifted and finally, the bike began to officially move. They quickly picked up speed and Cloud squeezed his mate’s waist, a wide grin splitting his lips beneath his helmet. The bike picked up even more speed and the blonde looked out to the side to watch the town quickly rush by them as they rumbled forward, gliding across the earth and leaning over to the side with each turn as they broke through the town limit and set out into the world. Cloud’s hands clenched once before relaxing. He’d get one eventually. His choices were endless now, and he could do anything. And it was all made better with Sephiroth at his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading up until this point! Really, it means a lot that so many of you have stuck around. Thank you so much! And if you enjoyed this to the end, perhaps you'll enjoy the new journey Sephiroth and Cloud embark on in the sequel.
> 
> Here is the link to the next posting **[here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25986967/chapters/63179131)**


	34. Title Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somethin' I drew for the series, with this particular one dealing specifically with this book. I'll have to think a bit on what I'd like to draw for the second book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, not really an update since the story is still progressing in the other posting. But! I wanted to share this drawing here since this is specifically for this first part. idk, a warning seems rather moot here, but, lots of blood!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Dreams of Broken Honor](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26155048) by [Darksinokari (Darksinokaru)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darksinokaru/pseuds/Darksinokari)




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